About Us

Lao is the nationality (or people) and Laos is the country.

• LAO is to GERMAN as LAOS is to GERMANY.
• LAO is to GREEK as LAOS is to GREECE.

• Add an "s" to the Lao nationality to get the country of Laos.
• Lao + s = Laos

• Add a "y" to the German nationality to get the country of Germany.
• German + y = Germany

Lao is the common English term and Laotian is the Latin-inspired term in English.

• LAO is to GREEK as LAOTIAN is to GRECIAN.
• LAO is to GERMAN as LAOTIAN is to GERMANIC.

In English, it's usually best to say "Lao", "Greek", and "German" rather than "Laotian", "Grecian", and "Germanic".

• She speaks Lao (not Laotian).
• She speaks Greek (not Grecian).
• She speaks German (not Germanic).

• He is Lao (not Laotian).
• He is Greek (not Grecian).
• He is German (not Germanic).

• They are Lao nationals (not Laotian nationals).
• They are Greek nationals (not Grecian nationals).
• They are German nationals (not Germanic nationals)

• I'm a Lao American (not Laotian American).
• I'm a Greek American (not Grecian American).
• I'm a German American (not Germanic American).

• Lao language (not Laotian language)
• Greek language (not Grecian language)
• German language (not Germanic language)

• Lao sausage (not Laotian sausage)
• Greek yogurt (not Grecian yogurt)
• German sausage (not Germanic sausage)

• Lao cuisine (not Laotian cuisine)
• Greek cuisine (not Grecian cuisine).
• German cuisine (not Germanic cuisine).

Laos, like both Germany and Greece, is just the name of the country, so the right word to use is Lao:

• RIGHT: Lao restaurant / German restaurant / Greek restaurant
• WRONG: Laos restaurant / Germany restaurant / Greece restaurant

• RIGHT: Lao cuisine / German cuisine / Greek cuisine
• WRONG: Laos cuisine / Germany cuisine / Greece cuisine

• RIGHT: Lao sausage / German sausage / Greek yogurt
• WRONG: Laos sausage / Germany sausage / Greece yogurt

• RIGHT: Lao language / German language / Greek language
• WRONG: Laos language / Germany language / Greece language

• RIGHT: Lao people / German people / Greek people
• WRONG: Laos people / Germany people / Greece people

• RIGHT: I am Lao / I am German / I am Greek
• WRONG: I am Laos / I am Germany / I am Greece

• Lao people (or "the Lao") originated in China.
• Lao means "Sacred", "Noble", and "Great" in Chinese.
• Lao people created Laos in South East Asia.
• Lao is the official nationality of the country of Laos.
• Lao is the official language of the country of Laos.
• Lao is a tonal language with 5-6 tones depending on the region.
• Lao standard dialect is based on Vientiane.
• Lao music includes classical, pop, country, and more.
• Lao pop music is abbreviated as L-pop.
• Lao silk is praised for its exquisite quality and ethnic designs.
• Lao foods are considered fresh and spicy.
• Lao cuisine emphasizes not just taste, but also texture.
• Lao sticky rice is a name for sticky rice from South East Asia.
• Lao sticky rice is a daily staple in the Lao diet.
• Lao coriander is another name for dill.
• Lao basil usually refers to lemon basil from Laos.
• Muay Lao is an ancient martial arts from Laos.

• "Simply Beautiful" is the official slogan for Laos.
• Laos has won numerous international tourism awards.
• Laos won WORLD BEST TOURIST DESTINATION for 2013!
• Laos holds the longest stretch of the Mekong River.
• Laos is known as the "Jewel of the Mekong".
• Laos is located in the heart of mainland South East Asia.
• Laos shares a border with China.
• Laos is known for its majestic mountains, beautiful waterfalls, and its natural beauty and serenity.
• Laos' capital is the central city of Vientiane.
• Laos' ancient royal capital is Luang Prabang.
• Laos was formerly a very powerful kingdom called Lan Xang ("Land of a Million Elephants").
• Laos' nationality is officially known as the Lao nationality.
• The cuisine of Laos is officially called Lao cuisine.
• Lahp (Larb) - the national dish - originated in Laos and eventually this Lao salad became popular in neighboring countries.
• Laos introduced several curries to its neighbors.
• Green papaya salad originated in Laos.
• Lao sticky rice makes up about 90% of rice production in Laos.
• The origin of Japanese sushi traces back to Laos where soured fish is prepared with Lao sticky rice.
• The national beer of Laos is Beerlao (Beer Lao), voted Asia's Best Beer of 2004 by Time Magazine. Beer Lao has won numerous prestigious awards.

• Vientiane is the native name for the capital of Laos, pronounced "Vieng Chan" (City of Sandalwood) by the Lao locals; however, in the English language, Vientiane is pronounced "Vien Tian" or "Vien Chan".
• Panoy Bistro has a grilled beef dish called the Beef Vientiane.

• Luang Prabang is the ancient royal capital of Laos.
• Luang Prabang is the most famous city in Laos.
• Luang Prabang was voted "Top City" by Wanderlust.
• Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Panoy Bistro has a northern Lao salad called the Luang Prabang Salad.

• Vang Vieng is considered a backpacker's paradise in the majestic, mountainous regions of Laos.
• Panoy Bistro has a grilled pork dish called the Vang Vieng BBQ.

• The longest stretch of the Mekong River is located in Laos, which is why Laos is poetically named the "Jewel of the Mekong".
• The Mekong River is home to farm-raised tilapia fish in Laos.
• Panoy Bistro has a tilapia dish called the Mekong Blossom.