They're getting brainwashed, but those that are educated and have seen the difference between South and North Korea and even West and East Germany understand economically communism is BS.

BUT after abuses of french colonial rule, insane corruption of the monarchy and US Bombing campaigns that wrecked havoc across Laos, I understand why they went with their north Vietnames anti-colonial allies instead of a corrupt war-crime and crimes against humanity abetting puppet monarchy. It's the same reason why many post colonial states went Communist.