The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to shooting attacks targeting vehicles traveling the “new road” northwest of Kasi in Luang Prabang Province at about 9:00p.m. on March 23, 2016. A charter bus and a pickup truck were both hit by automatic weapons fire on this heavily traveled route between the towns of Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng, two of Laos’ most popular tourist destinations. One person was killed, and six wounded.
Due to this incident, U.S. Embassy Vientiane has restricted official travel by Embassy staff on the “new road” between the Kasi junction and the Road 4 junction. Both roads connecting the towns of Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng are now subject to Embassy travel restrictions. This Travel Alert supersedes the March 7, 2016, Travel Alert concerning Road 13 and Xaisomboun province and it expires on June 30, 2016.
The Embassy restricted official travel along Road 13 from Km 220 north of Kasi in Vientiane Province to Km 270 at the Phou Khoun junction in Luang Prabang Province following similar shooting attacks on vehicles in recent weeks. The Embassy also restricts official travel to Xaisomboun Province in its entirety because of the unpredictable nature of violence in the area and the lack of official information regarding possible motives or a Lao government response.
The Embassy still permits its personnel to travel between Vientiane and Vang Vieng on Road 13, and to travel to the town of Luang Prabang by air. Travel by road from the town of Luang Prabang northward is also not affected by these restrictions. Nevertheless, U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Laos should take precautions, remain vigilant about their personal security, and be alert to local security developments.
For further information:
- See the State Department’s travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information.
- Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
- Contact the U.S. Embassy in Laos, located at Thadeua Road Km 9, Ban Somvang Tai, Hatsayfong District, at +856-21-48-7000, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. weekdays, excluding U.S. and Lao holidays. After-hours emergency number for U.S. citizens is also +856-21-48-7000. Non-emergency services are provided by appointment only.
- Call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or 1-202-501-4444 from other countries from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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