Retire To Vientiane, Laos

In Love With Laid-Back Laos

June 16, 2011, Vientiane, Laos: Vientiane, Laos, offers a unique and rewarding overseas retirement experience.

Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,

"There is a saying in Asia that the Vietnamese plant the rice, the Cambodians harvest the rice, the Thais sell the rice, and the Laotians listen to the rice grow..."

So explains Asia Correspondent Wendy Justice in her report on Vientiane featured in this month's issue of my Overseas Retirement Letter (due in subscribers' e-mailboxes tomorrow).

Wendy continues...

"It seems as if everyone who visits delightfully laid-back Laos falls in love with the place. Laos exudes mellow. While the rest of Southeast Asia seems to be changing and modernizing at break-neck speed, Laos ambles along, taking plenty of breaks along the way.

"When you fly into Vientiane from industrious Vietnam or busy Thailand, it's easy to mistake the day of your arrival for a national holiday. Chances are you have not arrived on a special day. This is Vientiane, the most relaxed capital city in Asia. Although Vientiane has perked up a bit in the past few years, businesses still shut down around mid-day, when the city closes her eyes for a few hours. Weekends are quiet, when many places close their doors. And weekends in Laos can extend well into the next week. No one is ever in a hurry, and almost anyone will take the time to chat with you.

"Laos is one of the least industrialized countries in the world. Towns are few and far between. There are few paved roads and even fewer bridges. A detour of 100 miles, in lieu of one well-placed bridge, is common here.

"Even the largest city in the country, the capital of Vientiane, feels like little more than a large town. With a population of about 740,000, including the surrounding suburbs, you'll find no skyscrapers, no global stock exchange (a Laotian stock-exchange did open this year for the first time in history, with a grand total of two stock listings), no malls, no hustle, no bustle, and no need to keep a tuxedo or formal gown in your closet.

"In Laos, U.S. dollars, Thai baht, Chinese yuan, and Vietnamese dong spend equally well, with Laotian kip being the least popular or useful of the common currencies. Until recently, the largest Laotian bill in circulation was worth about US$1. As people didn't want to carry duffel bags full of cash, it seemed easier to use higher value currencies from other countries, rather than going to the effort and expense of designing and printing up large denomination bills. More time, that way, to listen to the rice grow...

"This is not to say that Laotians are lazy. They're not. They are a practical people with a different set of priorities than their more industrialized neighbors. Kindness is more important than competition; fun more important than finance; harmony more important than willfulness. Life moves with the rhythm of the day and the seasons rather than the rigid strictures of the business cycle.

"Given the agrarian nature of the country, Vientiane is a town of surprising worldly grace. Due in part to the large presence of NGOs in the city, as well as being one of the only urban areas in the entire country, Vientiane has a lot to offer. There are outstandingly beautiful Buddhist temples, lively markets, frequent festivals and celebrations, and a fine assortment of local and international cuisines. In the city a scattering of older French-colonial buildings still stand, a reminder of a time not so long ago when Laos was a French colony.

"For someone looking for a truly rewarding and unique retirement, Vientiane and its surroundings have a lot to offer. Nestled in the nearby mountains, beautiful waterfalls, venerable temples, exotic wildlife, and remote hill-tribe villages await anyone who comes to Laos with the luxury of time to explore the less-traveled reaches of this area.

"If you're intrigued by what this unique country has to offer, my advice is to go now. See Laos today, before the boom that is engulfing the rest of the region crosses the border..."

Kathleen Peddicord

*** Important Reminder For Overseas Retirement Circle Members ***

If you're an Overseas Retirement Circle member, note that your members-only private Teleconference with Wendy Justice, who, with her husband David, co-wrote this month's report on Vientiane and took the stunning photos featured along with it, will take place Monday, June 27, at 10 a.m. Eastern Time.

Wendy and her husband have been living and traveling in Asia since 2005. They know all about the pleasures and the pitfalls of life in this exotic part of the world. This will be your chance to have all your living-in-Southeast Asia questions answered.

We'll be in touch directly, closer to the Teleconference date, with dial-in details and your password for participation.

----------

You Are Not Responsible For Getting Yourself Into This Mess...

But you are the only person who can get yourself out.

Right now -- and for the next 12 months -- only you can:

Stop the government squeezing more from your hard-earned cash...
Safeguard your assets and actually grow your wealth (even in tough economic times)...
Guarantee a prosperous future -- for you and your family -- and allow yourself the freedom you were born to enjoy...

Because today, I'd like to send you FIVE FREE AUDIO PRESENTATIONS designed to make it possible for you to rise above this economic meltdown and set yourself on a path to financial and personal freedom.

Read here for complete details.

----------

• Carrying Coins Through Customs