# Is Laos safe in 2026?

> Laos scores 78.7/100 on the live safety index — generally safe. The main pressure on the score comes from political instability, economy, crime. The score has been stable for 23 days. The 24-hour AI forecast calls the trend stable (projected 77.9/100).

**Safety index:** 78.7 / 100 (higher is safer)
**Verdict band:** generally safe
**Active combat confirmed in the last 24h:** no
**Stable for:** 23 days
**Canonical:** https://safemap.ai/country/laos
**Generated:** 2026-09-01T04:08:29Z
**License:** CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — reuse with attribution to safemap.ai and the timestamp of the numbers.
**Contact:** contact@safemap.ai

## Threat breakdown

| Category | Current | Cap |
|---|---|---|
| Political instability | 9.6 | 15 |
| Economy | 3.2 | 8 |
| Crime | 3.8 | 15 |
| Natural disasters | 1.2 | 5 |
| Internet freedom | 1.6 | 7 |
| Ecology | 0.1 | 1 |
| Public health | 0.3 | 3 |
| Military conflict | 1.5 | 30 |
| Sanctions | 0.0 | 4 |
| Nuclear risk | 0.0 | 12 |

## 30-day trend

Laos's score fell by −11.1 over the last 30 days (89.9 → 78.7).

Aug 3 · 89.9 → Sep 1 · 78.7

## Official travel advisory

**Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution.** The U.S. State Department places Laos at Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution citing crime and civil unrest. Our live index reads 78.7/100. That advisory was last revised Jul 28, 2026, 35 days ago; the index above is recomputed continuously from current reporting.

Source: U.S. Department of State (https://travel.state.gov/content/tsg_aem/us/en/home/international-travel/travel-advisories/destination.lao.html), revised Jul 28, 2026. Levels run 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel). This is not travel advice.

## Latest recorded events

- 2026-08-13T12:37:29Z — As floods devastate Mekong communities, economic strain, conflict compound crisis — disaster, severity 5/10 — South China Morning Post — https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3363945/floods-devastate-mekong-communities-economic-strain-conflict-compound-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed
- 2026-07-19T00:03:51Z — Laos says it can't determine cause of tourist deaths linked to methanol - Officials say they have no evidence of poisoning over the 2024 deaths because autopsies were not conducted. — health, severity 3/10 — BBC News — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdx8rj99endo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- 2026-07-18T02:06:50Z — Laos distillery owner charged in mass poisoning deaths of tourists - Laos authorities have charged the owner of a distillery whose methanol-laced alcohol killed six travelers in November 2024, officials said Friday. — crime, severity 6/10 — UPI News — https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/07/17/laos-methanol-deaths/6841784339886/
- 2026-07-17T14:17:21Z — Parents of Australian teens killed by tainted liquor in Laos are angry at expected charges - AP News - Parents of Australian teens killed by tainted liquor in Laos are angry at expected charges    AP News — crime, severity 5/10 — Associated Press — https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMisgFBVV95cUxQd1JlT0xQd3I2SDh3eU80TV9uaktnb19pX24zWEl3d2k5UVNvRHNsTDdfTXlSZWw4VURHZ21FYVEtMG41OW9ucUtiV2hiOWZaV3h1Q1BXcHNEVnJuek0xQkFuWm5pMzlWU3dSRGkxdi04N1Rha3JBS0dINkRVWC1GVW05c2NzUU9jb0dFdlMxeEk2b1EtVkJ5RllKUkpsZFkxS1ZGajNUMGhlZTlhTlVQY0ZR?oc=5

## 24-hour forecast

Trend **stable**, projected score 77.9/100, generated 2026-08-31T23:01:53Z.

The methanol poisoning scandal and ongoing flood impacts are damaging the country's safety profile.

## Compared with nearby countries

| Country | Score | vs Laos |
|---|---|---|
| Laos (this country) | 78.7 | — |
| Thailand | 79.3 | +0.6 |
| Myanmar | 38.7 | −40.1 |
| Cambodia | 80.5 | +1.7 |
| Vietnam | 81.6 | +2.9 |
| Macao | 90.0 | +11.3 |

## How this number is computed

https://safemap.ai/methodology.md

## Citation

Global Safety Map, safemap.ai — safety index 78.7/100 for Laos, as of 2026-09-01T04:08:29Z.

## License

The data is licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

You may reuse, redistribute and build on these numbers, including commercially, provided you attribute Global Safety Map (safemap.ai) and carry the timestamp of the figures you quote. A score without its timestamp is not attributed data — it is a stale number with our name on it.

Citation format: Global Safety Map, safemap.ai — safety index {score}/100 for {country}, as of {date}.

## Contact

Questions, partnerships or data-removal requests: contact@safemap.ai