Vientiane authorities have set a compensation package worth LAK 147.93 billion (USD 6.5 million) for residents affected by sinkholes and ground subsidence linked to potash mining activities in Thongmang village, Xaythany district.
According to state media, the compensation was calculated by a special force to help residents affected by ground collapses restore damaged land, crops, buildings, irrigation systems, and roads.
The compensation package includes LAK 97 billion (USD 4.3 million) for damaged land, LAK 29.34 billion (USD 1.3 million) for crops and agricultural production, and LAK 13.82 billion (USD 615,888) for damaged buildings and other structures.
Another LAK 7.67 billion (USD 341,750) will be used to repair and restore irrigation systems and...
Vientiane’s state water supplier reported a profit of more than LAK 91.6 billion (USD 4.2 million) in the first half of 2026, even as it struggles to keep up...
Laos is working to unify fee collection procedures on transit cargo and cross-border tolls across the country's key trade corridors, officials report.
The push comes as Laos’ Ministry of Finance...
Laos has tightened controls on foreign borrowing as the government seeks to limit debt risks and reduce pressure on foreign-currency reserves and the Lao kip.
Under a new Bank of...
Laos's Cabinet approved 12 draft laws and proposals during its August 24-25 meeting, as the government reported average inflation of 7.6 percent and reviewed economic, social and disaster-related challenges...
Laos’ economy expanded 5 percent in the first half of 2026, helped by a strong tourism season and growth in services, but slowed in the second quarter as the...
Attapeu is expanding its employment services as the province seeks to respond to labor shortages and help people who have left school find work, according to provincial media.
At a...
A US federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that paused immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Laos.
The ruling, issued on 21 August by US District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan, found that the State Department had exceeded its legal authority by stopping consular officers from individually assessing applicants and instead suspending visa issuance based on nationality.
But the decision does not lift the separate US travel restrictions currently covering Lao nationals.
Laos remains subject to a partial entry and visa suspension under a Presidential Proclamation issued by President Donald Trump in June 2025.
That means the court ruling does not, by itself, reopen the US immigrant...
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...
Vientiane’s state water supplier reported a profit of more than LAK 91.6 billion (USD 4.2 million) in the first half of 2026, even as it struggles to keep up with growing demand and extend services to all parts of the capital.
At a meeting on 26 August, the Vientiane Capital People’s Council called on the enterprise to speed up efforts to expand water supplies and improve services for residents.
Daily demand for water in the capital has reached about 504,000 cubic...
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...
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...
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...
