Health ministry reveals 183 unlicensed beauty treatment clinics

The Ministry of Health has identified 183 beauty clinics providing medical procedures without the required licences and ordered stricter checks of private healthcare facilities nationwide.
Minister of Health Mrs Baykham Khattiya reported the findings to the National Assembly last week, as authorities step up efforts to ensure that private medical facilities comply with licensing requirements.
According to figures reported by the ministry, Laos has 46 licensed private hospitals, 23 medical centres and 2,076 clinics.
The ministry is working to identify facilities operating without authorisation and ensure that medical procedures are carried out by appropriately qualified personnel in facilities that meet the required standards.
The inspections follow a Ministry of Health directive issued this year, requiring unlicensed medical facilities, beauty centres and stem cell treatment facilities to apply for the necessary permits.
Under the directive, operators must complete the licensing process by November 30, 2026. Facilities are required to meet standards covering infrastructure, personnel and medicines before they can be authorised to provide medical services.
The directive covers procedures including injections, liposuction, cosmetic surgery and other treatments that require medical supervision. The measures are intended to strengthen oversight of private healthcare services and protect people seeking cosmetic treatments.
In a separate enforcement action, authorities ordered one clinic to suspend its services on September 2 after an inspection of its Vientiane  premises found that it was administering injections and substances, including Botox, for cosmetic purposes without the required authorisation.
The case highlights the challenges facing authorities as they seek to distinguish ordinary beauty services from procedures that require medical authorisation.
The nationwide inspections come amid broader concerns about the regulation of private healthcare providers and the enforcement of ministry orders.
On July 21, the Ministry of Health ordered the temporary suspension of medical services at BLL Hospital in Vientiane’s Xaysettha district while authorities investigated allegations of illegal organ-transplants.
On October 9 the hospital appeared to remain open, although it was noted that neither the ministry nor the hospital had provided a clear public statement on its status.
The case concerning the hospital case is separate from the beauty-centre checks but raises wider questions about the implementation of regulatory decisions and public access to information about facilities under investigation.
The Ministry of Health’s November 30 licensing deadline is expected to be an important test of compliance among unlicensed operators. Further information on inspection results, penalties and the status of facilities that fail to meet the requirements would help clarify how the measures are being enforced.
The ministry’s findings relate to inspections conducted in 2026. No comparable nationwide figure for unlicensed beauty centres in 2025 has been established in the sources reviewed, making it difficult to determine whether the number of unauthorised facilities has increased or decreased.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
 (Latest Update October 14, 2026)