Official Name Lao People Democratic Republic (Lao PDR ) Land Area 236,800 km squared Population ca. 6.5 million Capital Vientiane Latitude 14-23 degrees north / Longitude 100-108 degrees east. Laos, officially known as the Lao People's Democratic Republic, covers an area of 236,800 square kilometres. It is an entirely landlocked country located in the centre of Indochina sharing borders with Cambo

Vietnamese is the official language of Vietnam. Learning foreign languages, particularly English, is currently popular amongst young people in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Danang and other cities. Tourist guides are available for English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Russian speakers.

The postal service in Myanmar is unreliable; letters and postcards to overseas sometimes do not reach their destinations. Most hotels have IDD lines, but calls are expensive with average costs of a call to Australia, Europe and USA approximately USD 5 per minute. Public phones that use pre-paid phone cards or call-back systems are not available in Myanmar.

The Thailand communications network is both easy and convenient for foreigners to utilise. Thailand features numerous public telephones and mobile phones are easy for visitors to procure. There is a post office in every major town in the Kingdom. From telephones to the internet, the Thailand communications network allows visitors to stay in touch with comfort and ease.

Khmer is the official language. It is inherited from the Mon-Khmer family and enriched by the Indian Pali and Sanskrit languages. There are various dialects spoken in areas outside Phnom Penh. English is the second language, followed by French, even though they are not widely spoken except in the capital.

Laos runs at GMT + 7 hours, it lies in the same time zone as its neighbors Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Working Hours Government offices are generally open Monday to Friday from 08.00 am - 12.00 pm, and from 01.00 pm - 04.00 pm. Shop and private business offices open and close a bit later and usually stay open during lunchtime. Diethelm Travel Laos opens from 08.00 am - 12.00 pm, and from 01.30

Local time is GMT + 7 hours. Governmental agencies work Monday to Friday from 7.30 am to 4.30 pm (excluding a one-hour lunch) and are closed Saturday and Sunday. Banks are open from 7.30 am or 8.00 am to 11.30 am and from 1.00 pm to 4:30 pm. Some banks are open on Saturday morning from 8.00 am to 11.30 pm and are closed Sunday. Private shops are open from 8.00 am or 8:30 am to 9.00 pm or 11.00 pm.

The great majority of Burmese are Theravada Buddhists. Buddhism still has great influence on the daily lives of Myanmar. Close family ties, respect for elders, reverence for Buddhism and simple native dress are common values practised by most. 89% of the population are Buddhists with the remainder being made up of Christians (5%), Muslims (3%), Hindus (1%), animists and other (2%). Myanmar accepts