In the forests of Laos, observation comes before words for Souksamlan “Toun” Laladeth.
That idea inspired the title of his debut visual anthology, Where the Forests Have No Words, officially launched on 5 October in Vientiane*.*
"People call me a conservation and nature photographer. But really, I'm just a simple person, nothing more," Toun said.
Toun’s connection with nature began easily in life. Growing up in the northern Bokeo Province, his mother taught him which forest vegetables were safe to eat, while his father, a local hunter, taught him how to track animals.
“Nature and forest, they cannot speak,” Toun says. “Spending time in nature is key to understanding its language.”
Years later, as...
Laos will keep domestic fuel reserves at around 60 million liters or more and encourage companies to buy from multiple countries as the government seeks to reduce the risk...
Laos’ economy grew 4.8 percent in the first nine months of 2026, Prime Minister Saleumxay Kommasith told lawmakers on 5 October, crediting manufacturing, private investment, electricity, trade and tourism-related...
Laos and Thailand have moved a planned 820-meter bridge in Luang Prabang Province into the next stage of development, with the project’s environmental and social impact assessment and detailed...
Bolikhamxay is finalizing land compensation rates for the Vientiane-Hanoi Expressway, pushing forward a major infrastructure project designed to link landlocked Laos with Vietnamese seaports.
Local officials met with affected households...
The Lao central bank plans to resume accepting applications to establish new non-bank financial institutions by the end of 2026, after suspending new applications earlier this year to review...
Vientiane’s Smart Clean-Cooling Road System pilot project has reached 95 percent completion, and contractors expect to finish all work in October, the contractor said.
The project is the first of...
UPDATED on 30 September with an official confirmation from the Thai Embassy
Thailand has cut its visa-free tourist stay from 60 days back to 30 days, ending an expanded temporary scheme that had been in place since July 2024.
Foreign nationals holding a Lao-issued work permit, stay permit, or diplomatic identity card are exempt from the new limits on visa-exempt land-border entries and the 30-day visa-free stay.
The change took effect on 15 September and affects travelers from dozens of countries. Lao passport holders, however, are subject to a separate bilateral visa exemption agreement between Laos and Thailand.
What Changed on 15 September
Thailand's old 60-day exemption covered 93 countries and territories, Laos included....
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 hosted the Mekong Tourism Forum 2025 in Luang Prabang from 24 to 27 June, spotlighting the proposed ASEAN Rail Tourism Corridor (ARTC) as a key initiative to boost regional travel and connectivity.
Held...
In the forests of Laos, observation comes before words for Souksamlan “Toun” Laladeth.
That idea inspired the title of his debut visual anthology, Where the Forests Have No Words, officially launched on 5 October in Vientiane*.*
"People call me a conservation and nature photographer. But really, I'm just a simple person, nothing more," Toun said.
Toun’s connection with nature began easily in life. Growing up in the northern Bokeo Province, his mother taught him which forest vegetables were safe to eat, while...
Laos is preparing to compete in 12 sports at the 14th ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur next October.
The Lao team has proposed entering athletics, swimming, powerlifting, boccia, women’s goalball, men’s blind football,...
Laos continues working to develop chess among younger generations.
A group of young Lao players has returned from Singapore with 12 medals after gaining international experience against competitors from across Asia and beyond.
Team Laos...
In the forests of Laos, observation comes before words for Souksamlan “Toun” Laladeth.
That idea inspired the title of his debut visual anthology, Where the Forests Have No Words, officially launched on 5 October in Vientiane*.*
"People call me a conservation and nature photographer. But really, I'm just a simple person, nothing more," Toun said.
Toun’s connection with nature began easily in life. Growing up in the northern Bokeo Province, his mother taught him which forest vegetables were safe to eat, while his father, a local hunter, taught him how to track animals.
“Nature and forest, they cannot speak,” Toun says. “Spending time in nature is key to understanding its language.”
Years later, as he began working professionally in the forest, Toun learned more from experienced animal trackers in South Africa and Northern Europe. They taught him how to move silently in the forest, observe his surroundings closely, and think like the animals he was following.
"If you want to see wildlife, you have to think like wildlife, you have to move like wildlife, you have to act like wildlife," Toun said.
In 2009, Toun began working in the Nam Kan National Park as a porter,...
