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Laos address format & examples

How to write a Lao address

Landlocked in the middle of Southeast Asia sits the home of the mighty Mekong River: Laos. The Mekong River is central to transportation, fishing, water—of course—, boat racing, and the postal system! You've come to the right place if you're wondering how to write a Lao address. Write the mailing format clearly and in the right order so that your pen pal can get their letter quickly and easily. Or maybe you're just sending an ode to one of Laos's elephants? That's right, Laos is known as the "Land of a Million Elephants," and I'm sure they don't get enough mail. It’s probably because the other animals don't know the correct Laos mailing address format.

You're no animal, so you'll likely want technology to do the work for you in finding the right Laos address format. You can use Smarty's address verification tools to simply type the address data in any mail format and get the correct Laos address format returned. Using the correct Laos address format will make your mail go up the river much faster! Here’s a breakdown of how to write a Lao address:

  1. Addressee line: Use the recipient's full name and appropriate regional titles, such as "Sir. Elephant."
  2. Unit number and street - The unit number must be listed first followed by the street.
  3. District - The local area the address is in goes next on its own little line.
  4. Postal code, city, and Prefecture - The postal code is listed first, followed by the city or town the address is in, and then the prefecture or province.
  5. Country - The country can be shortened to LAO, although Laos isnt’ that much longer. You do you, boo thang.
Laos residential address format example

Laos address examples

Smarty address validation tools

Smarty® has a suite of address validation tools that can format, standardize, and validate Laos addresses, plus addresses in 240+ other countries and territories worldwide. Validate your Lao address with our tools.
Use the Single Address Verification Tool to verify and format 1 address at a time, the Bulk Address Validation Tool to verify and format a list addresses simultaneously, or use the International Street Address API to integrate address validation and formatting programmatically into your software systems and workflows.

Postal information

Laos's national postal systemis "Lao Express". As of recent data, Lao Express services approximately 159 addresses, reflecting its extensive reach throughout Laos. The organization manages a substantial network, indicative of its role as a major postal service provider in the region.
Administrative area types and count
17 provinces and one prefecture
Administration area names and abbreviations

Attapeu - AT Bokeo - BK Bolikhamsai - BL Champasak - CH Houaphanh - HO Khammouane - KH Luang Namtha - LM Luang Prabang - LP Oudomxay - OU Phongsaly - PH Salavan - SL Savannakhet - SV Sekong - XE Vientiane - VT Vientiane Prefecture - VI Xaisomboun - XS Xayaboury - XN Xieng Khouang - XI

Term to describe postal codes
postal code
Postal code in language
ລະຫັດສະຖານທີ່
Postal code format
99999
Postal service provider and website

Country information

If you've made it this far, you're probably looking for more than just how to write a Laotian address. Below, you'll find extra details like land area, ISO codes, and major cities to satisfy your curiosity. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn something new today!

Country/territory name
Laos
ISO3
LAO
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code
LA
ISO 3166-1 alpha-3 country code
LAO
ISO 3166-1 numeric country code
418
Endonym
ລາວ (Lao)
Total land area
236800 KM²
Capital
Vientiane
Other major cities
Pakse, Savannakhet, Luang Prabang

Population information

Total population
7633779 (2023)
Urban / rural distribution
36% / 64%
Urban population
2748160
Rural population
4885619
Official language
Lao
All languages spoken
Lao, Khmu Hmong
Most commonly used postal language
Lao
CC-BY 4.0 from worldbank.org
Now that you've seen our Lao address examples and have become a wizard at Laos address formats, why not expand your expertise even further? Explore our detailed guides for related countries and territories to see how their address formats and examples vary.
Visit the global address formats page or Asia address formats page for more information on all the other countries and territories we cover. You can also read or read our article about international address verification to learn more.
*Data updated as of March 14, 2025

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