The Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may increase tourist visa fees for foreigners to enter Laos after finding the current charge is low compared to some other countries in Asia. 

The department's Deputy Director General, Mr Vanthong Bouthasavong, said yesterday that his department was now waiting for this proposal to be approved by the cabinet. He added that he could not confirm when the government would decide on the proposal. 

“At the moment, the cabinet is discussing our proposal, and we will only be able to confirm a possible fee increase once the government has agreed,” he told Vientiane Times yesterday. 

Mr Vanthong said the Consular Department had proposed that the fee increase should only apply to visas on arrival, while Lao embassies and consulates in foreign countries would maintain the current fees, as a way of encouraging tourists to apply for visas out of the country. 

At present, a visa on arrival costs 288,000 kip (US$30) per person; under the proposal, this would increase to 432,000 kip (US$45). 

But Mr Vanthong said the government may choose to adjust this price, according to what was deemed suitable and affordable for most tourists. 

He also maintained that there was the need for a fee increase in the near future, because Lao visa fees were currently much lower than in many other countries. 

An operator of a tour company, who asked not to be named, said the increase in visa fees would be reasonable, but that it should be adjusted gradually, rather than all at once. 

He said a large increase in fees would have an impact on the Lao tourism industry and would place Laos at a disadvantage; he explained that neighbouring countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam now charged lower fees for visas on arrival, which was why tourism was growing so rapidly there. 

“The more tourists who visit Laos , the more Lao people will have the chance to earn a better income,” he said, adding that tourists, once they arrived in the country, generally distributed money to people offering many services, ranging from taxi drivers to hotel owners. 

He also said that the government should assess whether an increase in visas fees would be commensurate with the attraction of Laos as a destination. 

According to the Lao National Tourism Adminis-tration, 1.2 million tourists visited Laos last year. 

The Lao government requires citizens of most countries, including the US , Australia and France , to obtain a visa to visit Laos ; citizens of Asean nations, Russia and Japan are currently exempt.