寮国（老挝）基本概况

货币 - 寮国的法定货币是kip(LAK)，其实应该念gip。只有钞票，没有硬币。钞票的面额是：

500, 1000, 2000, 5000, 10 000（一万）, 20 000（两万）, 50 000（五万）, 100,000(十万)

500很少用，因为上厕所都要1000。除了kip，寮国境内可以用美金USD还有泰铢THB，但是他们找回钱通常都是kip。

广播电台 - 永珍的FM广播电台除了本地台，还有CRI中国国际广播电台FM93（讲华语）跟Radio Australia 澳州电台FM96（讲英语）。

手机网络 - 由于地理位置的关系，在永珍靠近湄公河的部分还是可以接受到泰国的手机网络覆盖(AIS, DTAC etc.)。 寮国主要的电讯公司是ETL Mobile, Lao Tel , Tigo, Unitel。

时间 - GMT+7 (与泰国一样)

Pathat Luang - 塔銮寺

Laos national icon - Pathat Luang (Vientiane)
寮国国家地标 - 塔銮寺（永珍）

Lao alphabets - 寮文字母

Lao alphabets - 寮文字母

Patuxay - 凯旋门

Vientiane Patuxay - 永珍凯旋门

Beer Lao 寮国（老挝）啤酒

Local produce 本地土产 - Beer Lao 寮国（老挝）啤酒

永珍另有一番风味

永珍另有一番风味
（2009-12-05）

　　Sa bai dee（寮语打招呼和问好的意思）！

　　来到寮国永珍已有四天时间，对于这个发展中国家，笔者的初步印象是怎样的呢？

　　首先学到的是“寮国”和“永珍”的正确发音。寮国的英文写法是“Laos”，但念起来那个“s”要省略，大概接近“劳”的第一声。永珍的英文写法是“Vientiane”，但它一点都不“甜（tian）”，正确的念法应该是“Wieng Chan”。

　　永珍虽是寮国首都，但这不像多数新加坡人所习惯与熟悉的繁忙都市，比较像是个还在沉睡的小镇。这里没有高楼大厦，多数建筑物都不会超过三四层楼高。

　　永珍的生活节奏比较缓慢，给人一种悠闲自在的感觉，难怪来这里度假的老外特别多。忙完一天的采访工作后，坐在所下榻酒店的顶楼餐厅里，观赏前方湄公河的宜人风景，的确有一种远离城市尘嚣的轻松感。

　　寮国以前曾是法国殖民地，在城市里自然而然会留下法式踪迹。最明显的就是在永珍市中心大道上的“Patuxay”，即寮国的凯旋门。它建筑于60年代，模仿巴黎的凯旋门，但本身已融入了寮国的建筑特色。

　　另外，寮国从1975年起成为共产国家，因此在街道上经常可看见印上锤子和镰刀（共产主义的标志）的红色旗子，置身于此也有另一番风味。

　　初步印象只能是片面的，笔者在这里只会逗留两个多星期的时间，接下来还有什么新发现，就在接下来的采访日记里才叙述吧。

～新加坡【联合早报】～

Laos voting for communist assembly

Laos voting for communist assembly

HANOI: Laotians cast ballots on Saturday to elect a communist-controlled legislature that has shown signs of growing clout in recent years.

Polling opened in the early morning, a source familiar with the electoral process told AFP by telephone from Laos.

There are 190 candidates vying for 132 seats in the National Assembly, up from 115 seats last time, government-controlled media in the one-party state reported.

About half the country's roughly six million people are eligible to vote in the polls, with results expected in about one week.

"I will select the candidates who I believe will be true representatives of the Lao people and take their issues to the National Assembly," said Khounkham, 18, a first-time voter quoted in state-controlled Vientiane Times on Friday.

The assembly has evolved from being "a pure rubber stamp" into an organ with its own identity that has criticised the government and even substantially revised some laws, a foreign diplomat in Vientiane said.

But real power remains with the ruling Politburo and Central Committee already chosen in March at a five-yearly Congress by fewer than 600 party members, analysts say.

In the last legislature all but two delegates belonged to the Lao People's Revolutionary Party but even those "independents" eventually joined the party, the diplomat said.

Martin Stuart-Fox, a Laos specialist at The University of Queensland in Australia, agreed the assembly has sometimes been more critical of the government, "but the problem is how far does it go?"

The assembly has discussed the country's corruption problem but nobody of any significance has ever been prosecuted, he said.

"I'm sure that nothing is discussed that the party doesn't want discussed," Stuart-Fox said.

In June the newly elected assembly will formally adopt the composition of a new government, decided behind closed doors during the party congress.

Choummaly Sayasone, re-elected to the country's top post of party leader during the congress, is also expected to be named president, the diplomat said.

Thongsing Thammavong is expected to stay on as prime minister. The former president of the assembly took on the role in December after the surprise resignation of his predecessor.

Both Vietnam and China vie for influence in landlocked Laos, which is rapidly developing but remains one of Asia's poorest nations.

-AFP

Sabaidee

Image courtesy of wikipedia

Sabaidee - Welcome to our Laos blog, we will bring you the information about Lao PDR (Please don't rush), stay tuned!

我们将为您呈现寮国（老挝）的资讯！敬请留意！