Travel safety comparison · Asia

Laos vs Myanmar: safety comparison

vs

Laos vs Myanmar: side-by-side safety comparison. Risk scores, FCDO + US State advisories, drug law, women's safety, LGBTQ+ status.

· How Warnely scores risk →
Laos carries a materially lower safety risk than Myanmar on the composite Warnely score: 38/100 against 80/100, a gap of 42 points. The biggest single category gap is in civil unrest, where Laos scores 1/5 against Myanmar's 5/5. The US State Department currently carries a Level 2 advisory on Laos and a Level 4 on Myanmar. Women's-safety rating differs: Laos is Generally Safe and Myanmar is Exercise Significant Caution. Drug law diverges sharply: Laos carries a tier-severe regime against Myanmar's more permissive framework.
🇱🇦Laos 🇲🇲Myanmar
Warnely composite (0–100, lower is safer) 38 / 100 80 / 100
Risk tier Exercise Increased Caution Do Not Travel
UK FCDO advisory avoid all but essential travel to parts of country No active advisory
US State Department advisory Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) Level 4 (Do Not Travel)
Global Peace Index rank #47 #153
Drug law Severe (long sentences) Death penalty possible
Women's safety rating Generally Safe Exercise Significant Caution
LGBTQ+ legal status legal illegal
Tap water n/a n/a
Currency LAK MMK
Full guide

Is Laos safe to visit in 2026?
Full guide

Is Myanmar safe to visit in 2026?

Laos vs Myanmar: common questions

Is Laos or Myanmar safer to visit?

Laos has the lower Warnely composite risk score: 38/100 vs 80/100 (lower is safer). Both scores factor in crime, terrorism, natural disasters, health, civil unrest, and infrastructure.

Is Laos or Myanmar safer for solo female travellers?

Laos is rated Generally Safe for women's safety; Myanmar is rated Exercise Significant Caution. Read the full guides for city-level detail.

What do FCDO and US State Department say about Laos and Myanmar?

Laos: avoid all but essential travel to parts of country (FCDO), Level 2 (Exercise Increased Caution) (US State). Myanmar: No active advisory (FCDO), Level 4 (Do Not Travel) (US State).

More comparisons

Laos vs Thailand · Myanmar vs Thailand · Laos vs Vietnam · Myanmar vs Vietnam · Cambodia vs Laos · Bangladesh vs Myanmar · Bhutan vs Myanmar · China vs Myanmar

Planning the trip? Check Laos visa requirements and Myanmar visa requirements.

← All country comparisons