In the 1990s and the first few years of the current millennium, Vang Vieng in Laos used to be a charming drug destination. If you search Google for Vang Vieng drugs, you will still be provided with links to outdated information.
The fact is that the scene has become outright dangerous.
Sure, drugs are still around quite openly, even after the August 2012 crackdown. And ordinary Laotian people in Vang Vieng are still quite accepting of the fact that Westerners use drugs.
But in Laos, like everywhere in the world, you have the police. And as anywhere in the world, if you are involved with drugs, you have little recourse when dealing with the police.
You can try your best to pay your way out. Now, in Laos, this indeed does often still work. But at a price.
But Laotian police are the most unfriendly anywhere in Southeast Asia.
Thai police are trained to smile when dealing with foreigners. Laotian police are trained to instill fear in Laotians and foreigners alike.
And the Laotian police are more expensive, much more expensive to bribe, than the Cambodian police, for example.
For even the smallest drug offense, expect to pay no less than 1,000 US dollars to get off the hook. But 5,000 is more likely, and they will take 10,000 if they think they can get it.
They do not mind keeping you in a police cell for a few days to wait for your wire transfer.
The Laotian police, even in Vang Vieng, do not search foreigners for drugs unless they already know that you are in possession of them.
And how do they know? The common pattern anywhere in Asia is that the person who sells drugs to you is also the one who sells you out to the police. Be especially wary of foreigners who live there and make a meager income managing local bars.
Foreign visitors tend to trust countrymen living there much more than locals. The police in Vang Vieng know this, too.
These local residents are often in the hands of the police. They have no money, are often addicted to hard drugs, have usually overstayed their visas, and work without a permit.
In Vang Vieng, such characters tell you that it’s still OK to use marijuana, etc. They sell it to you as a happy pizza or joint, and they may claim that the owner of their venue has paid off the police.
Consider this: a single drug-arrested foreigner brings in more money than such a bar or restaurant could earn in a month.
The foreign managers of “happy” venues are the ones selling you out to the police.
But the Laotian police also go after smaller prey. Road traffic violations, for example. You can rent motorcycles in Vang Vieng. The rate is 30,000 Kip if the bike is returned by 7 or 8 in the evening, or 60,000 Kip for 24 hours. The shop will keep your passport.
Of course, there are traffic rules in Laos. Drivers need a valid driving license. The motorcycle registration papers have to be with the driver. The vehicle needs to be insured. Side mirrors need to be present, and the lights need to be working. And a helmet needs to be worn.
Practically no foreigner renting a bike in Vang Vieng conforms to all of this. And the police are there to shake you down.
The official ticket prices may not be as high as in the West. In Thailand, traffic tickets paid under the table typically cost half of the official price. In Thailand, most violations officially cost 400 baht, so with a quick 200 baht, you are done in 10 minutes, and it’s all smiles. The Thai police are always friendly. In Cambodia, even just a dollar or two will set you and your bike free. Cambodia is also the least efficiently policed country in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, bribes are on par with official costs.
And in Laos? Police checkpoints are common. The police treat everybody as if they were big fish in the drug trade. And bribes, in comparison to official ticket prices, tend to cost double.
In Thailand, the police are wheels in the government apparatus. Police work has a lot to do with doing one's duty. But in Laos, the police are king. And Western women running afoul of the law, especially in drug cases, had better be prepared for demands to provide sexual services to police officers. Westerners are in Vang Vieng to be milked.