Trade between Laos and Vietnam reached USD 1.305 billion during the first six months of 2026, as growing cross-border trade, tourism and infrastructure projects continued to strengthen economic ties between the two neighbouring countries.
According to the Lao Department of Foreign Trade, Laos' main exports to Vietnam during the period were gold, potassium chloride, and electrical machinery and parts. Its biggest imports from Vietnam included diesel fuel, vehicles, chemical products and precious objects.
The figures come as officials from Laos and Vietnam met in Luang Prabang for the 6th Meeting of the Laos-Vietnam Border Joint Technical Committee, where they reviewed cooperation along the two countries' shared border.
According to state media, officials...
Trade between Laos and Vietnam reached USD 1.305 billion during the first six months of 2026, as growing cross-border trade, tourism and infrastructure projects continued to strengthen economic ties...
The USD 5 billion Luang Prabang hydropower dam on the Mekong River remains on track to begin generating electricity in 2030, with construction now more than 72 percent complete,...
Sihom Night Market in Vientiane Capital will officially close on 25 July, but with just two days to go, many vendors say they still have no clear idea when...
Healthcare in Laos is under growing financial pressure, and the country can no longer rely on donors to fill the gap, according to the World Bank's latest Lao PDR...
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...
On 16 July, Laos established a new cultural association tasked with preserving national heritage while positioning culture as a tool for soft power, tourism, and economic growth.
The country’s Central...
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 Information, 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...
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...
The USD 5 billion Luang Prabang hydropower dam on the Mekong River remains on track to begin generating electricity in 2030, with construction now more than 72 percent complete, Lao and Thai officials said following a high-level site visit on 18 July.
The project is one of several major dams planned along the Mekong as Laos continues to expand its role as a regional electricity exporter. Most of the power generated by the Luang Prabang dam will be sold to...
While the FIFA World Cup dominates football headlines, a Lao youth footballers has returned from Europe with two international titles.
On 5 July, W.I.G NAGA's under-13 team successfully defended its IberCup title in Portugal,...
Vientiane's Chao Anouvong Stadium renovation has surpassed 70 percent completion and remains on schedule for handover in October 2026.
Shuji Hayashi, senior architect at Azusa Sekkei, the project's consulting firm, told the Laotian Times...
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...
