Vietnam and the Philippines have been reclassified as upper-middle-income economies by the World Bank, leaving Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste as the only ASEAN members still in the lower-middle-income category.
The annual income classifications, released on 1 July, place seven of ASEAN's 11 members in the upper-middle-income bracket or higher. Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand remain upper-middle-income economies, while Brunei and Singapore retain high-income status.
Vietnam had remained a lower-middle-income economy since 2009, while the Philippines had held that classification since the late 1980s. No economy moved down an income group this year.
The World Bank updates its classifications every 1 July using gross national income (GNI) per capita from the previous calendar...
Vietnam and the Philippines have been reclassified as upper-middle-income economies by the World Bank, leaving Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste as the only ASEAN members still in the lower-middle-income...
On 1 July, the Vientiane Capital People’s Court announced verdicts in four major corruption cases involving 17 defendants, among them former senior government officials, state enterprise executives, and businesspeople.
The...
On 1 July, Vientiane officially opened a new 9.3-kilometer stretch of Mekong riverfront featuring parks, walking and cycling paths, sports facilities, and flood protection infrastructure following the completion of...
The Vientiane-Saysettha Low-Carbon Demonstration Zone is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 1,200 tons annually through a range of clean energy and low-emission technologies, according to the...
More than 22 schools across Vientiane Capital received copies of President Thongloun Sisoulith’s memoir "Letters to Grandchildren" on 29 June, an initiative aimed at promoting reading, life values, and...
Electricite du Laos (EDL), a state-owned national electricity utility, will cut power across four Vientiane districts from 1 to 5 July to carry out maintenance and infrastructure upgrades, the...
Vietnam has launched the Pre-Arrival Information (PAI) system, replacing the paper arrival card that travelers previously filled out at the border with an online declaration submitted within 72 hours before arrival.
The system collects passport details, flight information, purpose of visit, and accommodation details, transmitting them to immigration electronically in advance. Upon validation, travelers receive a QR code that officers scan at the airport.
The card went live first at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City on 15 April. Vietnam’s busiest gateway, Tan Son Nhat handles over 25 million passengers annually and has become known for lengthy immigration queues, some travelers report lines of 500 people or...
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...
Lao authorities have seized more than 110 kilograms of suspected illegal wildlife products and arrested a suspect in Luang Prabang as part of an ongoing crackdown on wildlife trafficking.
On 30 June, the Lao Wildlife Enforcement Network searched a property in Sangkhalok village, Luang Prabang, on suspicion of illegally trading protected wildlife products and animal parts.
According to state media, authorities confiscated hundreds of items believed to be derived from endangered species, including 486 suspected rhino horn pieces, 714 suspected ivory...
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...
Laos has requested Vietnam’s support in sports development and athlete training as the country prepares to host the 36th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in 2031 as this is the country's second time staging...
Recent police arrests have renewed public concern over rising youth violence and reckless motorcycle activity in Vientiane Capital.
On 17 June, Sisattanak district police arrested seven teenagers aged between 15 and 17 accused of carrying out 4 attacks along Mekong riverside roads, Patuxay, and That Khao areas using knives, weapons, and broken glass bottles.
Authorities said the group, known as “10K,” regularly gathered in motorcycle convoys at night and had been involved in several violent incidents throughout May, leaving three people injured.
“People No Longer Feel Safe Running There”
One of the runners who shared the post complaining about the youth’s behavior, and regularly exercises around Thatluang Lake Special Economic Zone (SEZ), requested anonymity over safety concerns.
He told the Laotian Times that large groups of teenagers continue gathering almost every evening around the area, racing motorcycles, performing stunts, revving an engine, and intimidating people using the park.
“Every evening there are groups of 5 to 20 people racing motorcycles, popping a wheelie, and speeding around the lake,” he said.
“Sometimes there are up to 40 to 50 youths gathered in the area. People who come to run already know about it, but many avoid getting...
