Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has called for stronger management of the Boten Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Luang Namtha as Laos seeks to expand the border area as a trade and investment hub.
Laos began developing the Boten SEZ in 2012 to attract investment in finance, trade, industry, transport and tourism. More than a decade later, the zone has completed most of its basic infrastructure, including roads and water supply systems.
During a visit from 17 August, authorities said they were preparing to build a data centre in the zone, adding digital infrastructure and technology investment to its traditional focus on trade and logistics.
Sonexay instructed authorities to review land allocations to...
Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has called for stronger management of the Boten Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Luang Namtha as Laos seeks to expand the border area as a...
Trade along the Laos-China Railway continued to grow sharply in the first half of 2026, with imports and exports reaching CYN 17.17 billion (USD 2.53 billion), up 33.8 percent...
Laos has completed field surveys and identified two major potential rare earth target areas spanning four provinces, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) reported.
The two zones are the...
On 13 August, Laos agreed to study the development of a new industrial park in Vientiane, with the proposed project expected to attract around USD 1 billion in investment.
The...
Laos’ international border checkpoints collected strong state budget revenue in the first half of 2026, with several crossings beating their targets by wide margins.
Leading the way is the Vangtao...
Laos attracted over USD 8.5 billion in investment approvals during the first seven months of 2026, with officials greenlighting 34 projects in concessionary businesses and controlled business lists.
The figures...
Laos welcomed nearly 2.6 million international tourists in the first half of 2026, up 9.9 percent from the same period last year, according to the latest figures from the Tourism Development Department under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Thailand remained the country's biggest source of visitors, with 833,738 arrivals, accounting for 32.2 percent of the total. China followed with 26.1 percent, while Vietnam ranked third with 22.6 percent.
Together, the three neighboring countries brought more than 2 million visitors to Laos, making up about 81 percent of all international arrivals during the first six months of the year.
ASEAN continued to dominate as Laos' largest tourism market, contributing nearly 1.47 million...
Laos expects to welcome between 5 and 6 million international tourists in 2026, with Chinese visitors projected to account for around 2 million of that total, according to government estimates.
The numbers will be...
Laos welcomed nearly 3.8 million international tourists in the first ten months of 2025, a 13 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
In figures released on 7 December, the Tourism Development...
Flooding has affected more than 60,000 people across all 10 districts of Khammouane province as continued heavy rain pushes several rivers above danger levels, according to the Khammouane media on 12 August.
The flood struck 206 villages and nearly 9,500 households across the central province in late July and early August. Authorities also report damage to over 15,000 hectares of rice fields and other crops, along with dozens of roads and several bridges.
Officials estimate preliminary losses at least LAK 100...
The Lao Football Federation (LFF) has reported suspected match-fixing by national team players to police, following the team’s four straight losses at the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026.
The letter, dated 7 August, said the...
Seven-year-old Bounthiengtham “Jayson” Sengphachan has already done something no Lao chess player his age has done before.
The young player from Vientiane Chess Academy recently became the youngest Lao player to receive an official...
Cats spend much of their day sleeping, stretching in the sun, at times hunting, or just watching the world go by. For a group of Lao artists, those habits have become the inspiration for art.
Life feels busier than ever, and Laos is no exception. Seven artists in Laos have turned to cats to explore what many people seem to be searching for today: a little more freedom, self-acceptance and joy in the ordinary moments of everyday life.
Their exhibition, Like a Cat's Tiny Life, running until 31 July at The Tamper Coffee & Studio in Vientiane, brings together paintings, illustrations and photography that ask a simple question: what can people learn from slowing down?
Why Cats?
“All seven of us wanted to create a small space filled with warmth through stories about cats. We wanted people to experience life through the artists’ small perspectives on cats,” artist Fanta Keomanila told The Laotian Times.
For him, cats represent independence.
He described them as animals that follow their own way, sleeping and resting when they choose and finding happiness in simple moments such as watching birds or lying in the warm sun, rather than conforming to...
