How is life in Pakse?

Welcome on board TRueGRit

Hi True Grit.

I live in Vientiane Laos and my wife comes from Pakse.I worked there for 2 years. There is no expat community in Pakse,apart from a few NGO types, very little to do at night apart from either visiting friends or going out for a few drinks. 
Sorry to disallusion you.
You would be better off to look at Vientiane or Luang Prabang.

Hi TRueGRit
I just moved to Pakse from Hanoi, Vietnam. Although I see your post from 26/02/2011 but I hope that you are living and working in Pakse now. If you are in Pakse, please contact to me.

Hi, are you still living in Pakse? I'm planning to move from Thailand-any current tips on long-term accom/living costs? Cheers, Doug

Hi Doug,

Please note that this thread here is a bit old and regarding your questions on accommodation we will kindly invite you to please drop an advert in the Properties for rent in Laos section

Thank you

Maximilien

Hi Maximilien, thanks for the heads up. Sadly I’m discovering that posts on all blogs and sites about Pakse are either quite thin or very dated. I hope to encourage a few new updates and will contribute my own when I arrive. Cheers, Doug

Pakse is the provincial capital of Champassak. The Western expat community is very small. There are Vietnamese and Chinese expats in Pakse.

There is a thriving coffee industry on the Boloven plateau.

Education wise there is the first expat international school about to open in Pakse at the beginning of the new school year Sept 2015.

Good restaurants  and shopping in Pakse. If in Pakse it is worth organising a trip to Don Khong Island and the waterfalls on the Mekong there.

As far as long term accommodation goes it would be best approaching guesthouses and hotels and negotiating a monthly rate.That way you have no worries about electricity and water bills or signing up for a 12 month lease.

Hi Stumpy, thanks for the post. Cheers, Doug

I have a potential job offer in Pakse, was just wondering how the crime levels are and the infrastructure in the area. Thanks for any info, feel free to pm me if you live in Pakse, if all goes well I could be there in early 2016.

Hi, Ive got no idea of the crime there...I'm not living there yet myself. If you have a job offer I hope they are providing your accom. because NO HOTEL offers long term accom. & the other guest-house options fall way below par. Good luck...

They find apartments for their employees which should make it a lot easier.

I was one of the westerners in Pakse for about a year. There are some western foreigners in town, mainly French people. Unfortunately they've decided to change the riverfront and many restaurants had to close on that part of the riverbanks.

Unfortunately Pakse is going the same way as Vientiane. It has lost that old world charm. Too much foreign money being spent there on changing the place with gaudy western style buildings, which are built to a sub standard quality.

I am not against change but if it is to come it needs to be thought out properly. Unfortunately money speaks volumes in Laos so things get done in an underhand way and the locals suffer.