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| 1976 |
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| In the first few months of the year, goodwill evaporated when the Communist cadre began the collectivization of much of lowland Laos and forced thousands of former government workers to take “reeducation courses.” Hundreds of thousands of lowland Laotians, including large numbers of educated elite, fled as refugees to Thailand where many remained into the 1980s. Tens of thousands of Hmong tribespeople, who had been fighting the Communists for years, sought refuge in the West. | 1 |
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| 1979 |
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| The government acknowledged the failure of doctrinally purist economic policies. Especially after 1979, following Vietnamese advice, an effort was made to bind Indochina together: Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Market forces reemerged as failing collectivization efforts were relaxed. An uneasy truce was made with Thailand and other ASEAN countries. | 2 |
| Laos retained diplomatic relations with many non-Communist states and enjoyed a wider range of foreign aid than Cambodia. The Buddha Sabha operated more openly in Laos than in Cambodia. The Vietnamese acted as the successor patrons, following the pattern set by the French and Thai before them, while Laotians played a subordinate role. | 3 |
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| 1985 |
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| The first national population census since 1953 was conducted. The economy continued to make a relatively strong showing, and Laotians focused on developing a new constitution. Rapprochement with the U.S. grew from American interest in information on soldiers missing in action, but this trend was limited by Laos obeisance to Hanoi and to “proletarian internationalism.” Diplomatic negotiations with Thailand concentrated on territorial issues. | 4 |
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| 1986, Feb. 1 |
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| A draft of the first constitution since 1975 was adopted. In addition, a new development plan, the 1986–90 plan, took an even more pragmatic stance than had the 1980–85 plan. This followed the advice of the Vietnamese, who in late 1985 had pressured the Laotian leadership to take an even more liberal line. External aid from Vietnam and the Soviet Union continued to be important, especially for economic development in agriculture and industry. Attention was also focused on the problem of bureaucratic corruption. | 5 |
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| 1987 |
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| Economic pressures continued as the World Bank demanded certain changes in order for Laos to receive international aid. | 6 |
| Lao-Thai relations ranged from dangerous to conciliatory as the ongoing border war raised territorial issues. | 7 |
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| 1988, Dec |
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| New trade agreement with China. | 8 |
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| 1989 |
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| As a result of both Laos's policy of economic liberalization and the Soviet Union's policy of glasnost, Laos remained closely connected to the Soviets, but the Soviets could no longer provide hard currency. A trend toward private enterprise became more evident. | 9 |
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| March 26 |
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| National-level elections for the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA). | 10 |
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