Lao New Year public safety rules announced

The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism has published regulations aimed at ensuring safety during the Lao New Year holiday, with official events taking place on the customary dates of April 14–16.
The ministry’s rules state that activities ogranised to celebrate the Lao New Year should be in keeping with Lao traditions, including cultural performances, the Miss Lao New Year contest, the Miss Lao New Year parade, street fairs, and other events. Any events taking place in public places and along riverbanks must be authorised at both the central and provincial levels.
Temples and their grounds must be kept clean and in good order, especially areas where Buddha images are placed for members of the public to bathe with water, and where monks gather, as well as areas where vendors set up makeshift stalls.
The music played at celebration venues should be traditional Lao music, must not exceed 80 decibels in volume, and should be switched off by 11pm. Inside temples themselves, only religious music should be played.
People should wear traditional dress whenever possible and all places of entertainment and restaurants should stick to official opening and closing times.
The Ministry forbids the use of dirty or coloured water when dousing people in fun, as well as the use of hoses and similar items on the streets or in other public places without permission.
Revellers should not play or dance to songs with lewd lyrics, whether Lao or foreign, nor stage concerts or sell alcohol in temple grounds.
Banners should not feature Buddha or other religious images without official approval, and no one should wear revealing clothing or behave in an obscene manner during the celebrations.
Extravagant celebrations that waste public money are discouraged and no Lao New Year activities should be organised on the streets without prior approval. It is also forbidden to gather in large groups to declare political agendas that contravene official government policy.
Activities such as gambling, drug trafficking, prostitution, fighting, or any behaviour that causes unrest or security issues are strictly prohibited. Violators will be given a written warned and fined.
The official Lao New Year holiday runs from April 14-16 and is the most important and widely celebrated occasion in Laos, being a time of celebration, fun, and family bonding.
The festival also symbolises purification and renewal, as it takes place in the run-up to the start of the rainy season and features water prominently to highlight the value of water in everyday life and farming.
Communities across the country take time out to party and share in traditional rituals, which are most strikingly evident in the cities of Luang Prabang and Vientiane, and include the cleansing of Buddha images with sacred water in homes and temples.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update April 8, 2025)