Banditry is a very real threat in Laos, although you can greatly reduce the risks by planning your route wisely and heeding local warnings. During the past two decades, buses, motorcyclists and private vehicles on certain highways have been held up, their passengers robbed and, in some instances, killed. Check with local guesthouse owners and bus drivers before setting out.

Security has improved greatly along Route 13 between Kasi and Louang Phabang since the mid-1990s, but, as of 1998, many expats were still discouraged by their employers from travelling on this stretch. Bandits are still active east of Route 13 along Route 7, so travel between Muang Phoukhoun and Muang Soui is not advised; at the time of writing, buses were not covering this section and vehicles without military escorts were not permitted on the road. If you plan on travelling by road to Phonsavan, the safest route is via Nong Khiaw, along Routes 1, 6 and 7.

South of Route 7 lies the Xaisomboun Special Zone , a new administrative district carved out of Xiang Khouang and Bolikhamxai provinces, also considered unsafe. The eastern part of this district, where Route 6 connects Muang Khoun with Pakxan, is another troubled area that should be avoided. Caution should be exercised in the far south along the Cambodian border as well, particularly the section of the Mekong between the Lao island of Don Khon and the Cambodian right bank.