The update states that the ban only applies to staff, but tourists and business travellers are advised to avoid the same stretch of road. The off-limits segment of Highway 13 runs south from km270 in Luang Prabang down to km220 in the northern part of Vientiane Province.
The State Department cited an incident that took place on the highway on 1 March as the reason for extending the advised no-go area that currently applies to Xaisomboun Province. Unidentified attackers shot at a bus and a pickup truck on the highway. Five people were injured by the gunfire.
The department noted that there had been two other shooting incidents on Highway 13 in the last few months too. One on 14 January also saw a public bus targeted and one passenger injured. The advisory expires on 30 May unless updated again in the intervening period.
US extends Laos travel advisory to main tourist highway
News in Asia
The US State Department has updated its travel advisory for Laos to cover one of the main tourist highways. The department’s Laos page was updated on Monday and says diplomatic and other support staff in the country have been banned from using a stretch of Highway 13 between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng.