PERSPECTIVE: Where is everything made in Lao PDR?

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Lao PDR is beautiful… But where is everything made?

Perspective

When I visited Laos (Lao PDR) recently, especially in the countryside, it felt like stepping into a peaceful time capsule. The landscapes were stunning: lush mountains, calm rivers, and kind, soft-spoken people. It’s the kind of place that instantly calms your heart. However, as the days passed, I began to notice something deeper: Laos is seriously underdeveloped. It’s not just slower-paced; it’s like the whole country is operating in slow motion economically.

Coming from Thailand and having also visited Cambodia back in 2020, the difference was clear. Cambodia, despite its own challenges, has grown a lot in the past few years. I remember seeing construction everywhere in Phnom Penh: new cafés, high-rise apartments, and businesses run by locals. In Laos, on the other hand, there’s very little local production. Almost everything is imported from Thailand or China: food, toiletries, clothes, even drinking water!

Laos feels heavily dependent. It was interesting but also a bit sad. Walk into any small shop and you’ll find Thai or Chinese brands lining the shelves. Even their infrastructure: roads, bridges, and the famous Laos-China Railway, are mostly built with foreign money and contractors. The country seems to be running not on its own engine, but on the engines of its neighbors.

And then there’s the nightlife, or lack of it. At night, towns become completely quiet. No late-night markets, barely any open shops, and almost no traffic. It’s peaceful, yes, but also reflects the lack of economic activity. Compare that to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, where local businesses stay open late, and you feel a pulse of movement even after dark.

Laos has incredible potential. Its natural beauty, rich culture, and geographic location should make it a tourism and agricultural hub. But without real local investment and stronger economic independence, that potential stays locked. There’s so much land, so many rivers, and resources, but who’s using them effectively? Not the locals, it seems. It made me wonder, what’s holding things back?

Education, governance, lack of industrial capacity, or maybe all of the above. It feels like the country never really entered the race. While Cambodia and even Myanmar have made visible efforts to grow and change over the past decade, Laos seems to be in a kind of quiet pause, waiting for someone else to move first. The younger generation may have dreams, but there are few local platforms or industries to support them.

And then the thought crossed my mind: What if I invested here? I kept joking to myself, “If I buy a piece of land now and open a coffee shop by the Mekong, maybe in 10 years I’ll be a millionaire, Laos-style!” 😂 The land is cheap, competition is low, and the people are welcoming. It’s tempting, but it also makes you realize how much unrealized potential exists.

My trip to Laos gave me a lot to reflect on. It’s not a scary or broken country, just one that hasn’t yet fully started building its future. Seeing how far Cambodia has come in just a few years made it more obvious that progress is possible. But to grow, Laos needs to invest in its people, its industries, and its independence from foreign economies.

I still believe in Laos. It’s the sleeping beauty of Southeast Asia, waiting to wake up. But it won’t happen by magic, it’ll take action, vision, and a real effort to stand on its own. Until then, it will remain quiet, beautiful, and behind. That’s my perspective.

Warm regards :b