by CNNGo staff
Drugs, alcohol, loud music and crazy games on the river. Laos' notorious party town Vang Vieng may sound like a teenager's holiday heaven, but it's become too much for the country's authorities.
Officials are clamping down on Vang Vieng's hedonistic ways, shutting 24 riverside entertainment venues "being operated in contravention of regulations, including the provision of unsafe drinks to customers, while some also had no business licenses," reports the Vientiane Times.
The English-language newspaper said the closures follow the findings of a task force made up of senior tourism, health and public security officials.
The group was sent to Vang Vieng to refocus the popular tourist destination following reports of problems in the district, from bars openly selling cocktails made with hallucinogenic mushrooms to several tourist deaths.
“We have set ourselves the target to bring a new face to Vang Vieng district by October,” said the leader of the task force, Boualy Milattanapheng.
read more