Aktiv Demokrati forum

An Eco-tourist's story

I came to Vang Vieng with my girlfriend and could see the nice people living there. A poor but relaxed life for most people. We enjoyed the nature of Vang Vieng and decided to stay for a couple of days and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere. In my mind Vang Vieng became a remember in my dreams and to talk good things about.

My relationship with my girlfriend ended after four years and I had no strings to bind me in my country anymore so I decided to go to my favorite places in the world and stay there longer time. So I have visited Laos and Vang Vieng many times and enjoyed it very much.

Seeing the increasing pollution of Vang Vieng I decided to help to make it better. I signed the petition against the noise pollution and also encouraged others to sign it. (Some bars are keeping the whole valley awake with their noise at night.)

I helped the owner to make one bar on the “party island” into an ecological bar, recycling, reusing and refilling, using Bamboo straws and bamboo cups, offering locally made drinks, reducing plastic in many ways. Reducing non-recyclable glass. I encouraged the introduction of a vegetarian buffet. etc.

I tried to make the ladies on the street reuse cardboard paper instead of using Styrofoam for the pancakes. I informed the tourists that using drugs in Vang Vieng is illegal and that the fine is around 500$ and that they shall not try to corrupt the local police.

Since the Bamboo bar has been more successful I have seen more people being employed in the bar.
I believe this is a good development for Vang Vieng. I want it to remain a paradise and not be turned into a new Pattaya. I believe that much less drugs are being sold on the Island since Bamboo bar started to inform people about the high fine for doing so.

Of course this might not be popular with some of the police catching tourist and taking bribes and not with the people selling drugs and not with the prostitutes wanting people with a confused mind to steal money from.

I guess that is the reason for me being treated like a criminal. I think the real criminals of Vang Vieng are the people that encourage prostitution, the ones that sell illegal drugs and policemen misusing their power and taking bribes. They should be replaced with decent people.

I refuse to pay any fines for “working” in Vang Vieng. I did never take any money from Bamboo bar and I payed for food and guest house with my own money. I gave Bamboo bar an English dictionary and some of the staff books for learning English on their own. I also gave the bar midrange speakers to increase the happiness for all and furthermore beautiful sarongs to decorate the bar.

I do not consider putting a log on a fire work, neither accepting gifts from the owner when he is being thankful. Neither do I consider it work to tell people that arrive in Vang Vieng about the bar. I want people to come together in this nice bar and to see how we all can be more ecological.

Last year when I helped the Organic Farm there was no troubles, I do not see why there should be any problems now. This must be corruption at it's worst.

Best regards, Martin Gustavsson, Passport number 62948623

After one day of refusing to sign ridiculous agreements and being kept without food and money I decided to let them get what they want and instead tell the world about Laos corrupt police. They charged me 30$ for transporting me against my will to Vientiane and further 1000 Baht to go to the border or else threatened to be locked up.

I am now in Thailand.

Jesus...
How interesting, but sad, to read a report from this corrupt paradise!
Im glad that U made it without more punishment than to be forced out of the country..
Unfortunately, corruption is existing very close to Sweden also.
The driving force is the same all over the world; when U give personal benefits to state emplyees, they are of course
not much more loyal to the citizens than any person on this planet.
To think else is real naive.
Not after we realize this, we can take the neccessary steps to remove power from single persons and their organizations, who runs for elections year after year without proof (or even theoretical possibility) of a non corrupt mind.
And its not enough to indentify and remove indivduals who should be convicted and punished according the law, no,
the only working long term solution is to remove the whole system which promotes the very root cause of corruption; the system of representative democracy where everything can be hidden in many different ways, away from the citizens eyes and the legal system.

I am now going back to Vang Vieng, but first I will stop at the immigration police and get the legal documents for working even if I do not consider volunteering to be work. I hope this will be the end of this stupidity. I also got the advise to talk to the village chief about what I intend to do in Vang Vieng. I will also talk to the chief of police again and show him my new documents.

Good luck!!