East Asia and Pacific has led in economic growth, but to sustain momentum and create jobs, countries must address global uncertainties. Key challenges include shifting global integration, climate change, and demographic trends.
According to the World Bank Group’s latest 2025 Regional Economic Update , it is expected to slow to 4.0 percent in 2025, affected by global conditions and domestic policies.
China's growth will decelerate to 4.0 percent due to trade restrictions, policy uncertainty, global slowdown, and property sector weakness. Growth projections vary across the region: Mongolia 6.3 percent and Vietnam 5.8 percent lead, followed by the Philippines 5.3 percent, Indonesia 4.7 percent, Cambodia 4.0 percent, Malaysia 3.9 percent, and Laos...
East Asia and Pacific has led in economic growth, but to sustain momentum and create jobs, countries must address global uncertainties. Key challenges include shifting global integration, climate change,...
Thailand and Cambodia’s new agreement to combat transnational crime must not come at the expense of human rights, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on 22 April, ahead of a...
In 2024, Laos and China achieved a significant milestone in trade, with a total value of USD 8.23 billion, marking a 15.91 percent increase compared to 2023. This growth...
On 21 April, the United States Department of Commerce announced its final decision in a major trade investigation targeting solar imports from four Southeast Asian countries.
As a result, the...
Foodpanda will cease its operations in the country on 23 May, its German parent company Delivery Hero announced on 23 April.
The decision is a major shake-up of Thailand's competitive...
Over 1,170 Lao health professionals have been trained through a long-running initiative led by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand. Now nurturing a new generation of trainees, the project...
Luang Prabang experienced a tourism boom in the first quarter of the year, generating USD 584,665,369 million in revenue, marking a 162 percent increase in tourist numbers compared to the same period last year.
Between January and March, the province welcomed 1,167,581 visitors, including 459,091 domestic travelers and 708,490 international tourists.
This represents a significant increase of 722,679 visitors year-over-year, according to Soudaphone Khomthavong, Director of the Luang Prabang Provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department.
In 2024, Luang Prabang saw a total of over 2.3 million tourists, far exceeding its original target of 900,000. This influx played a key role in driving the province’s GDP to LAK 3,989 billion (approximately USD 183...
Laos’ popular world heritage town of Luang Prabang has clinched third place in the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards for “Destination Management” at the Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB) in Berlin, Germany, on 4...
The Lao government has announced plans to boost tourism in Vientiane Capital with the theme "Vientiane's Sustainable Tourism," The initiative aims to incorporate innovative technologies into tourism management and create new attractions for...
Thailand and Cambodia’s new agreement to combat transnational crime must not come at the expense of human rights, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on 22 April, ahead of a high-profile diplomatic meeting between the two countries in Phnom Penh.
During the summit, held on 23 April, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced plans to dismantle organised criminal networks and enhance joint operations along their shared border.
Key measures include strengthening security cooperation, improving intelligence sharing,...
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially upgraded the Lao Football Federation to Silver Level Membership in 2025.
Currently, with this upgrade from the 2019 Bronze, the Lao Football Federation becomes the 11th Silver...
On 15 March, Nam Theun 2 Power Company Limited (NTPC) celebrated its 15th anniversary with the Nam Theun 2 Golf Classic, held at the Lao Country Club in Vientiane.
The event brought together over...
A simple greeting has sparked a complex debate in Thailand — is saying “Ni hao” to a Southeast Asian person, who isn’t Chinese, an innocent mistake, or a subtle form of racism?
The debate began on 20 April, after an incident involving Siranath Bhiromphakdee, also known as Sai Scott, a 26-year-old Thai environmentalist and social media figure, went viral. At the time, he was still serving as the former advisor to the Director-General of Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
The confrontation, caught on video, happened on a beach in Krabi province, where Scott came across a Russian couple who had entered an island that was temporarily off-limits for conservation reasons.
When he informed them they were violating conservation rules, the Russian man replied with “Ni hao,” the Mandarin Chinese greeting for “hello.”
Scott, upset by the greeting, firmly told the couple to leave immediately.
“I don’t care if you come from anywhere in the world, but to come to Thailand and not even have the respect to know the difference between Thailand and China is extremely racist,” Scott later wrote in a Facebook post to his 213,000 followers.
“Something as small...