Prostitution in Laos

During the 1960s and 1970s the country's involvement in the Vietnam War led to Vientiane becoming famous for its brothels and ping pong show bars.

[2] Prostitutes were initially interned in rehabilitation camps called don nang ("women's island"), though this practice was later discontinued.

[1]: 134  Research published in 2012 indicated that sex workers considered the profession to be "an easy and good source of income compared to other jobs".

They also said that it had the advantage of being "suitable for a low-educated person because working in a bar does not require formal training or skills and is quickly learned.

[3] The country's Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Bokeo Province has been called "a mecca of gambling, prostitution and illicit trade".

[10] The Khmu are a minority ethnic group that reside mostly in isolated and mountainous areas in the Upper Mekong region of Laos.

The Khmu women mostly move to border areas around the upper Mekong where there is more infrastructure, including bars, restaurants, and casinos.

[12] The Lao government implemented a national strategic and action plan in 2005, aimed at expanding universal access to treatment, support, and care.

[12] Access to information and treatment regarding AIDS/HIV/STIs remains limited in Laos due to a conservative culture and sensitivity towards sexuality.

[14] Many individuals reported a fear of going to health facilities for treatment due to social discrimination regarding pre-marital sex and "clinicians' negative attitudes towards 'dirty disease'".

[13] Laos is a source and, to a lesser extent, a transit and destination country for women and children subjected to sex trafficking.

Some migrate with the assistance of brokers charging fees, while others move independently through Laos' 23 official border crossings using valid travel documents.

Some local officials reportedly contributed to trafficking vulnerabilities by accepting payments to facilitate the immigration of girls to China.