Vientiane, Laos —

Aditta Kittikhoun has learned to anticipate the question.

No, not Thailand, but it’s next to Thailand. No, not China, but it’s next to China. No, not Vietnam, but it’s next to Vietnam.

Kittikhoun, who is Lao but grew up mostly in the United States, is used to people not knowing where he’s from.

His father worked at the Laos diplomatic mission to the United Nations in New York City. As a result, he speaks fluent English, an asset when he moved back to his birthplace.

Now, Kittikhoun runs a media and creative marketing company in Vientiane, a city of about 850,000 people.

“I would say it’s extremely comfortable, it’s pleasant, people are generally nice to each other,” says Kittikhoun, who is raising his three children in Vientiane. “I like the vibe of this place. I

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