Other Tourist Scams in Vientiane, Laos
Timeshares, fake police, charity fraud, and miscellaneous scams targeting visitors. Below are the other scams scams reported in Vientiane — how they work and how to avoid them.
For broader context, compare this scam type with nearby destinations like Lombok, Palawan, and Mandalay.
Last updated: April 2, 2026
2
Other Scams Scams
10
Total in Vientiane
How it works
Travel insurance vendors (both legitimate and fraudulent) sell policies to backpackers, but many policies contain exclusions or require pre-approval for certain activities. Travelers file claims for medical or theft incidents, only to be rejected. Predatory vendors use vague wording to deny legitimate claims. This particularly affects budget travelers purchasing cheap online policies before arrival in Vientiane.
How it works
Individuals posing as monks or temple volunteers approach tourists outside Wat Si Saket and Haw Phra Kaew on Setthathirath Road, soliciting cash donations for temple restoration or offering to perform a blessing for a "suggested donation." The amounts requested escalate once the tourist engages. Ordained monks in Laos do not solicit cash directly from tourists, and any monk doing so at a tourist site is almost certainly operating a scam.
See all scams in Vientiane
10 total warnings across all categories