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Last year (2013) when I spent six or seven weeks in Vientiane I remember there being two night markets.

One was a touristy one with mainly clothes near the river and the other was a local one with local food and amusements for kids on a long road a number of blocks back from the river and tourist area.

This year (2014) many things have changed in this city and my memory is not perfect and I'm not sure the second market still exists but I found a food street market a block or two from the local market but smaller and without the kids' amusements.

Google Maps is not always up to date for this part of the world and changes in the city are not easy to find by Googling but I think I can find three markets hinted at but I can't find whether the local one has moved or ceased or whether the food street market is just one I'd forgotten about.

  1. Vangthong Market / Van Thong 450 Night Plaza (ຕະຫລາດ ວັງທອງ 450 ປີ) on Khun Bu Lom Road for two long blocks.
    The market I'm looking for which might not still be going.
  2. Ban Anou market (maybe ບ້ານອານຸ) on one of the east-west streets around Rue Phai Nam, Rue Saigon, Rue Samsenthai, and Chao Anou Road. Seems to be named after the area bounded by those four roads.
    The one which may or may not be the previous one in a new location.
  3. "Riverfront" night market in the park area next to Quai Fa Ngum. I don't think this is it's official name.
    The touristy one that has souvenirs and not much local food

Which of these three are still held as of December 2014?

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In December 2014 I can now confirm there are at least four night markets in Vientiane!

The above three are all operating, though the one at Van Thong Plaza is much smaller than last year and has the kiddie attractions but not much food. I'm under the impression that most of the food has moved to the night market at Ban Anou, though I'm not sure whether this is permanent or happens each tourist season.

The big touristy night market with not much in the way of street food is of course still there each night on the river bank.

The fourth night market I found was on a corner of a main road right near Pha That Luang, the major landmark of Vientiane, but seemed very local and we spotted no other tourists. The food there was great!

Having found that last one I would not be surprised if there are other local night markets in other non-touristy corners of the city.

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