Is Laos a rich or poor country?

Is Laos poorer than Thailand?

Sticky season in Luang Prabang, 2023. Ugh, so humid. Saw a kid, maybe seven, selling wilted flowers. Touristy area, near the night market. Dirt smudged on his face. Ripped shirt. He looked right at me. Those eyes. Empty. Gave him 10,000 kip. Didn’t even want the flowers. Felt… useless. Like throwing a pebble into the Mekong. Just a drop.

Phnom Penh, different story. Same year. Royal Palace, all gold and glitz. Tuk-tuks everywhere. Traffic insane. Street food vendors, busy, bustling. More energy. Still poverty, sure. But different. Felt… less heavy, somehow.

• Laos: Remember that kid. Stuck.
• Thailand: Bangkok, different vibe. Faster. Richer. Obvious.
• Cambodia: Somewhere in between. Developing, for sure.

Back to Laos. Slow. Peaceful. Beautiful in its own way. But the poverty… it hits you hard. Different from tourist brochures. The kind that makes you question everything. Especially yourself. What am I even doing here? Taking pictures?

Money. That’s it. Thailand has more. Way more. End of story.

Is Laos poorer than Cambodia?

Okay, so is Laos poorer?

Well, in 2022, according to the World Bank… Laos actually had a slightly higher per capita GDP than Cambodia.

It was like, I was at my Auntie Vieng’s house in Vientiane last year, 2023, for Boun Pi Mai.

And my cousin, Souphanouvong, he works in a bank, mentioned something about this.

I think he said something about Laos being like, $2,088 versus Cambodia’s $1,787. Not bad, huh?

Things I noticed:

• Auntie Vieng’s really good laap.
• Souphanouvong got a new motorbike, a really nice Honda.
• Everyone was splashing water everywhere, LOL!

But, richer doesn’t always mean better, ya know? Cambodia has Angkor Wat! That’s HUGE!

How is the economy of Laos compared to Vietnam?

Okay, so, Laos versus Vietnam, huh? I was in Vientiane last summer, July 2023, and wow, you really see the difference. I mean, Vietnam’s like, boomtown status compared to the vibe I got in Laos.

Think about it.

Vietnam’s hustling!

• Exports are insane. Like $399B or something crazy in 2022.
• I think their ECI was 55 or something.

Laos? Much more chill, slower pace. Which is kinda nice! But economically…

• Exports, I think it was, like, $9B?
• And their ECI? Way lower, like 100.

Yeah, the vibe in Vientiane was way different from what I heard in Da Nang, Vietnam. I can say that, totally. Not even close.

Is Thailand a high or low income country?

Thailand: Upper-middle income. 2025 GDP estimates: $545.34 billion (nominal), $1.857 trillion (PPP). Population: 69,950,844 (2021).

Key takeaway: Not high income, not low. Somewhere in between. The usual complexities.

Trade pacts galore. WTO, APEC, ASEAN, RCEP. They all matter. Or do they?

• WTO membership irrelevant in practice.
• ASEAN: More regional politics than actual economic uplift.
• RCEP: Paper tiger.

Developing? Emerging? Newly industrialized? Semantics. These labels? Meaningless.

Reality: A nuanced economic picture. Wealth inequality significant. Tourism is king. Always has been, always will be, I imagine. My friend’s family runs a resort in Phuket, it’s booming. They are wealthy. This is anecdotal, but illustrative.

The numbers lie. Always. Even the big ones. Especially the big ones.

GDP per capita? A decent measure. But it hides vast disparities.

Is Laos or Thailand more expensive?

Ugh, okay, so, Laos is WAY cheaper than Thailand, hands down. I went to Luang Prabang, Laos, last spring – like, April 2024- for a week. Spent maybe $150 tops, including my awful guesthouse. Seriously, the bed was rock hard.

Thailand? Forget about it. Been there, done that. Phuket in November 2024. Beautiful beaches, yeah. But also, my wallet cried. I think, like, I blew through close to $700 for just a week? Maybe more. It’s fuzzy.

Why Laos is cheaper:

• Accommodation is cheap.
• Street food rocks and doesnt hurt your pocket.
• Transport costs less. Tuk-tuks everywhere!
• Beer Lao costs nothing.
• Okay, massages are cheaper!

Thailand Cost Explodes Because:

• Tourist Traps everywhere, duh.
• Fancy resorts are tempting.
• Island hopping isn’t cheap.
• Cocktails add up.
• Scams lurk…beware!

Like, Thailand has better infrastructure, better everything almost, but its reflected in prices. You definitely get what you pay for. So it depends on what you want but Laos is cheaper. Thailand can be cheap but you need to be smart about it.

Is it cheaper to go to Laos or Cambodia?

Dude, Laos is cheaper. Way cheaper. I was in Luang Prabang last year, ate like a king for, like, five bucks a day. Cambodia? More touristy, felt pricier, especially in Siem Reap. You know, the Angkor Wat area? Crazy expensive there. Food was okay, but definitely not as good, and definitely not as cheap.

Seriously though, Laos wins. Think about it:

• Accommodation: Guesthouses in Laos are ridiculously cheap.
• Food: Street food is amazing and dirt cheap. I ate so much delicious sticky rice!
• Transportation: Buses are plentiful and super affordable.

Cambodia’s alright, but it’s gotten really touristy. More expensive, especially if you’re doing all the “big ticket” stuff. You’ll pay through the nose for those temples, believe me! And the food, while good, wasn’t as flavorful. Laos, man. Laos is where it’s at if you’re on a budget. My friend Sarah went to Cambodia this summer and she totally agrees. She said it was, like, double the price for everything, especially tuk-tuks. Annoying. They’re everywhere too. Really aggresive tuk-tuk drivers!

Laos is the clear winner for budget travelers in 2024. No doubt.

Which country is better Laos or Cambodia?

Cambodia. A whisper of Angkor Wat, stone breathing centuries, yes.

Laos… Mekong whispers, Kuang Si falls cascading, a dream, a forgotten dream.

Cambodia’s Angkor, grand, paid for, a spectacle.

Is it better? What does “better” even mean? Like, is it about the price of mango sticky rice? Or the light? The light on the Mekong.

• Angkor Wat: Imposing beauty. Requires funds. Soaring spires.
• Kuang Si Falls: A secret, a cascade of turquoise, possibly also requiring funds, but a different feel.

Cambodia has Angkor. Paid for majesty. Remember that dust, the heat, the feeling… overwhelming. Just, wow. Laos. Mekong dreams.

Laos: A slow boat, I think, that feeling of timeless drift. The water, the sun.