Vientiane can be a tough nut to crack for a newly-arrived expat in Laos. Here are 20 game-changing English-language Facebook groups to help expats get the most out of living in Laos’ unique and often perplexing capital and beyond.
Essential Facebook Groups for Laos Expats
Vientiane Social
13,000+ members / closed group
The Mac Daddy of English language FB social groups in Vientiane, if expats living in Vientiane are talking about it, you can bet it will be on Vientiane Social.
A group which keeps you updated on what’s happening in Vientiane. Feel free to post events and what’s happening in town and invite your friends.
– Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/vientianesocial/
Buy & Sell in Vientiane
20,100+ members / closed group
There are several Laos buy/sell groups on Facebook, but few come close to matching Buy & Sell in Vientiane’s 20,000 [active] members. Websites like Craigslist haven’t yet caught on in Vientiane, so Facebook groups continue to fill the gap, particularly among English-speaking expats living in Vientiane, as it can often be challenging to track down items or recognize “For Sale” signs around town without a fair amount of Lao language skills.
This is a community group for buying and selling second hand items in Vientiane. Members also use the group to crowdsource recommendations for shops and services. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/buysellvientiane/
Expat Laos
4,900+ members / closed group
The premier Facebook page dedicated exclusively to English-speaking expats living in Laos (and those thinking of moving to Laos).
Have you made Laos your new home? Are you thinking about moving to Laos ? If you want meet like minded Expats living in Laos then you have come to the right place. Discuss food, shops, services; meet friends, talk finances, jobs, internet & phones, and much much more. There is no such thing as a stupid question. Someone else is already wondering about the question you’re about to ask. Beat them to the punch.
– Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExpatLaos/
Vientiane Parenting
1,700 members / closed group
If you’re here on AwayGoWe, there’s a decent chance you might be a parent. And…if you’ve gotten this far down the list, there’s a good chance you might live (or be thinking of living) in Vientiane. Right on! Okay then. Here’s a group just for you. Though, for us dads, I will admit the group can be a bit mom-centric. Not the fault of the group as much as lack of participation from dads, perhaps? Either way, it’s a great resource for anyone living in Vientiane with little ones.
A group to share tips on pregnancy, parenting, health care, education, leisure and general bits and pieces to do with having and raising children in Vientiane, Laos. A free parenting library in English is available–contact admin! – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/vientianeparenting/
Rent & Let in Vientiane
8,900+ members / closed group
If you’re planning a move to Laos (or are already an expat living in Vientiane, but looking to move into a new place), Rent & Let in Vientiane is a great place to start, with often several properties posted daily from across the city.
Find short or long term housing, house shares, apartments, roommates, and list your place for rent.
– Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rentletvientiane/
Car Buy&Sell in Laos
225+ members / closed group
If you plan on moving to Vientiane (or anywhere in Laos, for that matter), you may be thinking of getting yourself a car.
While cars in Laos are wildly expensive compared to other countries in the region (largely due to exorbitant import taxes, scarcity of older vehicles, and the absence of domestically-produced passenger vehicles), there’s always something available for those willing to shell out some cash (generally copious amounts of USD).
If a motorbike is more your thing (as is the case for the majority of people in Laos), Buy & Sell in Vientiane (see above) might be a better bet.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/carsinlaos/
Buy & Sell Car in Vientiane
300+ members / public group
Another buy/sell group for cars (and vans), but specific to the Vientiane capital region (and public, for those who might not make the cut with Car Buy&Sell in Laos…).
Any member can post a second hands car or van or similar for sale or request to buy. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1548928048739796/
Vientiane Recycling
580+ members / closed group
Newcomers to Vientiane are often stunned by how far behind the city remains in recycling efforts or how little information is out there regarding existing efforts. In response, a handful of online communities have popped up. Got a question about recycling efforts in Vientiane? Post it on Vientiane Recycling.
Hoping that we can work together and find methods to improve home recycling among ourselves, our villages and districts, and maybe one day the whole city! – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1856338941244435/
Culture and Stories from Laos
2,000+ members / public group
As many locals (and expats living in Laos as well) will tell you, Laos is a land rich in cultural heritage, from history, stories, and dance, to music, food, and festivals. If you’re a new-comer (and not conversational in Lao language yet), Lao modern and folk culture can be challenging to access or understand, as there don’t yet exist a lot of public outlets. Culture and Stories from Laos can help bridge the divide and feed your curiosity.
A group for finding out about festivals in Laos, a place for folk tales from Laos, for the songs, culture, history and stories of Laos. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/895772737177554/
Vientiane Foodies
1,700+ members / closed group
It’s no secret that Lao food is amazing, but where to grab amazing Lao food (or just plain great food of any ilk) can seem like a huge secret for the newly arrived. Enter Vientiane Foodies, for those who love food, and who love food lovers.
This group is strictly about food. Of all kinds, tastes and shapes. Share information about good places to eat and drink in Vientiane. Attend our events and create your own. Get to meet and befriend fellow foodies from around town. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/681106882031091/
Concept Cooking in Laos
2,000+ members / public group
If you like to eat, you might also like to cook, too. Cooking in Laos can be easy to difficult depending on what exactly you’re trying to cook. Particularly for Western dishes, ingredients can be hard to find. Concept Cooking in Laos is an exchange for people looking for cooking ideas using local ingredients, trying to track down a hard-to-find ingredient, or just want to talk about cooking in Laos.
This group is about cooking here in Laos. I will post about the courses I am running, and others are welcome to post about cooking in Laos, either western or Laos, or any other food, ideas on where to buy ingredients if they are hard to get and ask food related questions. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/323192264489447/
Vientiane Safety Awareness Group
3,300+ members / closed group
Vientiane is one of the safest cities you’ll likely find yourself in. But, like any city, stuff happens. This Facebook group lets you stay up to date on crime and other safety issues in real time, through first-hand accounts of incidents.
We are a group of people who has come together to share our own experiences from muggings/held ups, bag snatchings, and robberies, which are pretty common in the streets of Vientiane (or any other city in the world). Our goal is to share information and therefore help others avoid experiencing the same. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VientianeSafetyAwareness/
Where Can I Find…. Vientiane?
1,900+ members / public group
We could spend countless hours ruminating over the philosophical answers to this question, but this Facebook group is purely concerned with the practical. And there really isn’t a more practical question in Vientiane. Because, let’s face it, stuff (particularly for an expat living in Vientiane) can be really difficult to find here. No addresses, no websites for brick-and-mortar retailers (with a few exceptions), no yellow pages, and stock is constantly changing. In fact, shops and service providers are constantly changing too, it seems. Here today, gone tomorrow. At least there’s an online community devoted to helping you find what you’re after…before it disappears, that is.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/800148720102965/
p2p-Services in Vientiane – Offers and Demands
3,100+ members / closed group
If it’s services you’re after, you may want to consider checking out this FB group first. Looking for a private Lao tutor, nanny, yoga lessons, fitness trainer, or physio? You may be surprised at what you discover within…
p2p stands for ‘Private people offer their services 2 Private people’ There are many people in town with special and precious knowledges and know-how who want to offer their services and spread them to as many people as possible. And on the other side many people need qualified services! Why not bring these two groups of people together in this facebook-group? – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1444607649124018/
Vientiane Sport and Fitness
3,000+ members / public group
Looking to stay fit in Vientiane but don’t know what your options are? Want to join a sports team? Vientiane Sport and Fitness is your answer.
Goal of vientiane sport and fitness is it to get more people into sport in vientiane, therefore to get fit and healthy. You will find all posts in all sort of sports, either team (ball) sport or other fitness related sports. Post here to attract your sports group and to find more members. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/vientianesportandfitness/
Laos News
1,400+ members / public group
There aren’t a ton of English-language resources in Laos for keeping up on the news. If you want the news straight from the horse’s mouth, Laos News is a good place to start.
This is a group for people who are interested in current events about Laos. Please post your own. Please post news only in English language. There are numerous groups for Lao-language news. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1161189623950108/
BUY and SELL LAOS PDR
4,700+ members / public group
While this group can’t compete with Buy & Sell in Vientiane’s 20,000 members, it’s still a great place to look for that elusive second-hand item you crave (or to tap a wider market beyond Vientiane for selling your own stuff).
POST ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BUY, SELL OR GIVE. CAN BE LOCATED ANYWHERE IN LAOS. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/buyselllaos/
Vientiane Vegetable Gardening
800+ members / closed group
This is a place to share advice, tips, and experiences of growing one’s own fruit and vegetables in Laos. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VientianeVegetableGardening/
Natural Laos
1,700+ members / public group
Found something weird and/or beautiful in your yard while gardening? Find out what it is, and more!
A group where amateur and professional naturalists and wildlife appreciators can share flora and fauna photographs and information about the natural Laos around us. – Group Admin
https://www.facebook.com/groups/NaturalLaos/
Courses in Laos
1,600+ members / public group
Want to pick up a new skill during your time in Laos? Find someone (or some place) offering courses on anything from Lao to break dancing, driving to first-aid, and everything in between.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/210262682722084/
