Low Person Density Republic

The Serenissima has about 5 million souls squeezed onto about 600 square kilomteres. The Republic of Please Don't Rush has maybe 7 million spread out over an area almost 400 times as large.
Maybe that's why everything here is so small and laid-back. When the population is so thinly spread-out, you wouldn't expect very much suburban sprawl or dense concrete jungles. Probably that's why even Vientiane felt sleepy and more or less petered out after less than 15 minutes on the city bus. And when there aren't so many fellow human beings competing for resources, people can afford to relax. And take things nice and easy and maintain perfect equianimity. So they do.

It's quite striking how visibly slower the pace of life can be. Just watch the locals walking along the street. No. Dawdling along the street.