Lai Chau runs on UTC+7 every day of the year, with no daylight saving time.
Lai Chau and your time
Lai Chau at a glance
| Country | Vietnam |
|---|---|
| Region | Lai Châu Province |
| Time zone | Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh |
| UTC offset now | UTC+7 |
| Daylight saving time | Not observed |
| Coordinates | 22.40° N, 103.46° E |
Lai Chau time zone and clock changes
The clocks in Lai Chau follow Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh and keep UTC+7 through every season. No daylight saving time has been recorded here since 1970.
All of Vietnam keeps the same time, so Lai Chau reads the same clock as Hanoi.
Clock changes in Lai Chau, 2026 and 2027
No clock changes are scheduled in Lai Chau for 2026 or 2027.
How far ahead or behind Lai Chau is
Take 9:00 AM in Lai Chau: the clock reads 9:00 PM (previous day) in New York, 1:00 PM in Sydney and 6:00 PM (previous day) in Los Angeles.
| City | Time now | Difference now | In January | In July | Shared office hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York (United States) | --:-- | 12 h behind | 12 h behind | 11 h behind | None |
| Los Angeles (United States) | --:-- | 15 h behind | 15 h behind | 14 h behind | None |
| London (United Kingdom) | --:-- | 7 h behind | 7 h behind | 6 h behind | 1 h |
| Paris (France) | --:-- | 6 h behind | 6 h behind | 5 h behind | 2 h |
| Dubai (United Arab Emirates) | --:-- | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 3 h behind | 5 h |
| Mumbai (India) | --:-- | 1 h 30 min behind | 1 h 30 min behind | 1 h 30 min behind | 6 h 30 min |
| Singapore | --:-- | 1 h ahead | 1 h ahead | 1 h ahead | 7 h |
| Tokyo (Japan) | --:-- | 2 h ahead | 2 h ahead | 2 h ahead | 6 h |
| Sydney (Australia) | --:-- | 4 h ahead | 4 h ahead | 3 h ahead | 4 h |
| UTC | --:-- | 7 h behind | 7 h behind | 7 h behind | 1 h |
Lai Chau never changes its clocks, but many of these cities do. Where the January and July columns disagree, the gap shifts when the other city moves to or from daylight saving time.
Shared office hours is the part of a 9 AM to 5 PM local working day that both cities have in common. Weekends are not taken into account.
Sunrise and sunset in Lai Chau
Today
| Sunrise | --:-- |
|---|---|
| Sunset | --:-- |
| Day length | -- |
| Solar noon | --:-- |
Close to the equator, days in Lai Chau last between 10 hours 46 minutes and 13 hours 30 minutes, so evenings get dark at about the same time all year.
Daylight through the year in Lai Chau
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | March 20 | 6:11 AM | 6:17 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| June solstice | June 21 | 5:23 AM | 6:53 PM | 13 h 30 min |
| September equinox | September 23 | 5:55 AM | 6:02 PM | 12 h 7 min |
| December solstice | December 22 | 6:42 AM | 5:28 PM | 10 h 46 min |
Clock time and sun time in Lai Chau
Clock time and sun time line up fairly well in Lai Chau: solar noon falls at about 12:05 PM on standard time.
Cities near Lai Chau
Only 108 km (67 mi) away, Mengzi in China is 1 hour ahead of Lai Chau. Crossing between the two means resetting your watch.
| City | Distance | Time now | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lao Cai | 54 km (33 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Mengzi (China) | 108 km (67 mi) | --:-- | 1 h ahead |
| Thuận Châu | 109 km (68 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Gejiu (China) | 112 km (69 mi) | --:-- | 1 h ahead |
| Dien Bien Phu | 121 km (75 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Sơn La | 128 km (80 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
| Wenshan City (China) | 135 km (84 mi) | --:-- | 1 h ahead |
| Nghĩa Lộ | 141 km (87 mi) | --:-- | Same time |
More cities in Vietnam
All time zones and cities in Vietnam
Tools for time in Lai Chau
- Convert a time to or from Lai Chau: pick a date and time and see it in every city on your list.
- Add Lai Chau to your world clock to keep it next to your own time.
- Find a meeting time that falls inside office hours in Lai Chau and the other cities you work with.
- Open a full-screen clock for your own time zone.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Lai Chau in?
Lai Chau uses the Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh time zone, which is UTC+7 all year.
Does Lai Chau use daylight saving time?
No. Lai Chau stays on UTC+7 all year, so the time difference to places without daylight saving time never changes.
What is the time difference between Lai Chau and New York?
Lai Chau is 12 hours ahead of New York in January and 11 hours ahead of New York in July, because New York moves its clocks for daylight saving time and Lai Chau does not.
Is Lai Chau on the same time as Hanoi?
Yes. Lai Chau and Hanoi both use UTC+7 right now.
How long is the longest day in Lai Chau?
About 13 hours 30 minutes, around the June solstice. The shortest day, around the December solstice, has about 10 hours 46 minutes of daylight.
Time zone rules: IANA tz database, version 2026e. Place names and coordinates: GeoNames. Sunrise and sunset are calculated from the coordinates and can differ by a minute or two from local almanacs.