Unknown to most people Laos was since 1964 a side battlefield of the Vietnam war. It was strangely in everyones interest to hide the presence of foreigns troups on Laos ground why it was later also called “The secret war”. From 1964-1973 the US run secret airforce dropped approximatelly 2 million metric tonnes of bombs against the joint North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao troups . This extend of bombing give Laos the sad record of being the most heavily bombed nation per capita in history. Two third of the country is affected by unexploded ordonance. Most incidences happen with children playing with found UXO and villagers doing work in the fields and forests. Therefore in almost every village posters of the UN Founded UXO Lao program are visible to increase the awareness of the people. The bomb remains are easy visible and casts are turned into useful items as stilts or plant pots by the pragmatic Lao people.

Therefore it is very important  not to leave the paths in affected areas or to touch anything suspicious on the ground. 

Map with the density of bomb records.

A house built of bomb shells in Muang Ngoy.

Wall of bomb shells in Muang Ngoy.