press rank #153 · 
~$825/mo
Can you live unwatched in Laos?
Restricted press and civil liberties, ranked #153. Not individually assessed beyond public indices.
The privacy scorecard
12 cameras / 1,000 people press rank #153 ~$825/mo national average
Childhood vaccines: compulsory by law
One of the few countries in the region that both requires vaccination and puts real force behind it.
If you skip them: No school place without the vaccinations, and parents can face criminal charges.
Exemptions: The law names none.
Source: Georgetown AMP EID, survey of national legislation, 2024
Legal & financial exposure
Facts about the law, not a privacy score: whether each one helps or hurts depends on what you are trying to do.
Does not report your account balances abroad
No extradition treaty with the US
ID required to buy a SIM card
4 of 7 signals are unverified for this country: not shown, rather than guessed.
8 real places in Laos
Facial recognition, Bitcoin friendliness and cost vary by city even inside the same country.
Vientiane
~$850/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 1/5Savannakhet
~$700/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 1/5Pakse
~$850/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 1/5Thakhek
~$800/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 1/5Luang Prabang
~$950/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 1/5Vang Vieng
~$900/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 1/5Nong Khiaw
~$800/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 1/5Don Det (4000 Islands)
~$750/mo facial recognition unlikely₿ crypto 1/5Weigh Laos against your own threat model
Surveillance, speech, money: filter thousands of real places across every country and see where Laos actually ranks.
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Arcadia matches the same real places against how you actually want to live: weather, cost, healthcare, schools, internet.
Find where to live on ArcadiaCountry-level estimates for orientation, not legal advice. Surveillance law changes fast: verify anything you would act on.