Laos Airport Smoking Areas

By , Author, Air Travel Writer · Updated

Heading to Laos? You can still light up, and the place to do it is the open air outside the terminal. Laos keeps things simple: smoking is an outdoor, landside activity, so step outside before security and you are good to go.

The airport that matters: Wattay International Airport (VTE) in Vientiane.

How Laos Airport Smoking Works

Laos airports are outdoor-only for smoking. The country’s national tobacco law bans smoking inside indoor public places, and any designated smoking area has to be outdoors and at least 10 metres from buildings. That means your smoke spot is outside the terminal, on the landside before you pass through security.

Once you go through security at Wattay there is no smoking area airside, so plan your last cigarette for the curb outside the doors. Connecting passengers who need a break have to exit the terminal, smoke outside, and re-clear security afterwards.

Vaping is a separate and much stricter matter. Laos runs a zero-tolerance policy on e-cigarettes: import, possession and use are all prohibited. Devices are confiscated at the airport and at land borders, and offenders face fines of around US$200 plus possible short jail terms. Do not bring vapes into Laos.

The Hub

Wattay International Airport (VTE) in Vientiane is the main international gateway to Laos and the airport almost every traveller passes through. Its terminals once had indoor smoking rooms, and those closed on 20 May 2019 when the airport went smoke-free indoors. Today every cigarette is smoked outside the terminal in the open air, on the landside before security.

Tips for Smokers at Laos Airports

  • Smoke outside the terminal before security at Wattay (VTE), since there is no airside smoking area once you are through.
  • Finish your cigarette curbside before check-in or security so you are not caught short during a long airside wait.
  • Connecting through Vientiane? Budget time to exit, smoke outside, and re-clear security before your onward flight.
  • Leave every vape and e-cigarette at home. They are banned in Laos and will be confiscated, with fines around US$200 and possible jail time.

Laos Airports Compared: Indoor, Outdoor & After Security

AirportAfter securityIndoor roomOutdoor area
Wattay International Airport (VTE)––Yes

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where can you smoke at Wattay International Airport (VTE)?

You can smoke outdoors before security, in the open air outside the terminal. Wattay went smoke-free indoors on 20 May 2019, when its indoor smoking rooms closed, so all smoking is now landside in the open air.

Can you smoke after security at airports in Laos?

No. Smoking at Wattay International Airport is outdoors and landside only. Connecting passengers who want to smoke must exit the terminal, smoke outside, and then re-clear security before their next flight.

Is vaping allowed in Laos?

No. Laos enforces a zero-tolerance ban on e-cigarettes. Import, possession and use are all prohibited, devices are confiscated at the airport and borders, and offenders face fines of around US$200 and possible short jail terms. Leave your vape at home.

What does Laos law say about smoking in public places?

Smoking is banned in indoor public places across Laos. Designated smoking areas must be outdoors and at least 10 metres away from buildings, which is why airport smoking happens outside the terminal.

What is the main international airport in Laos?

Wattay International Airport (VTE) in Vientiane is the main international gateway to Laos. It is the airport that matters for most travellers heading in and out of the country.