Getting a SIM card on arrival in Laos

Physical tourist SIM cards are sold at airport kiosks in Vientiane and Luang Prabang, at operator stores in the cities, and at general retailers, by Unitel, Lao Telecom, ETL and TPlus.

Yes. Bring your original passport: it's required to register any physical SIM in Laos, and photocopies are generally not accepted.

Both airports have operator kiosks in the arrivals hall after baggage claim. Unitel has the largest counter at Wattay (Vientiane); Lao Telecom has the main counter at Luang Prabang, with ETL and TPlus less consistently present.

Hours follow flight schedules rather than staying open around the clock: roughly 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM at Wattay, and an earlier close (around 8:00 PM) at Luang Prabang. Late-night and red-eye arrivals often find the counters closed.