Laos is proposing to expand its official list of prohibited narcotics and controlled chemicals to close legal loopholes as authorities deal with new and unclassified drugs entering the country.
Minister of Public Security Vanthong Kongmany presented the proposed framework to the National Assembly on 5 October.
He told lawmakers that traffickers are increasingly using new chemical variants and designer drugs that are not covered by existing legislation. This can make it more difficult for authorities to make arrests and for courts to prosecute cases.
The proposal would turn a recent government decree into an official National Assembly resolution. It would create two clear lists: one covering prohibited narcotics and another covering controlled...
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...
Laos’ inflation rate rose to 7.8 percent in September, up from 7.7 percent in August, with education, utility, and some seasonal costs contributing to the increase, according to the...
Khammouane is preparing a UNESCO bid for the Hinboun Geopark, hoping the international designation will help raise the province’s profile as a tourism destination.
Provincial officials and international experts met on 29 September to finalize conservation plans and prepare the geological and cultural documentation required for the application.
The proposed site includes limestone karst mountains, river cave networks, dense forests, and prehistoric archaeological sites, including the recently opened Hidden Hands Cave.
Hidden Hands Cave
One focus of the province's UNESCO bid is Tham Pha Mue, also known as Hidden Hands Cave, located near the geopark's entrance.
Researchers have documented more than 285 prehistoric rock-art images inside the cavern, including hand stencils, human figures, and...
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...
Attapeu authorities have detailed five years of corruption investigations and financial irregularities, including a major treasury case involving more than LAK 90 billion (USD 4 million) in payments made without original supporting documents.
On 22 September, Souvansi Keoviset, head of the Attapeu Provincial Anti-Corruption Agency, presented the results of investigations covering 2021 to 2025 as officials discussed the province's anti-graft plan for 2026–2030.
Earlier cases involved individual officials, while a larger investigation in 2024 and 2025 involved 38 people, including 24...
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...
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...
