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Thailand Set for Another Acting PM After Cabinet Reshuffle

AFP - Thailand's king is scheduled on 3 July to swear in a new cabinet in a reshuffle that will see a third person in a week take on the role as the country's prime minister. The Southeast Asian nation's top office was plunged into turmoil on 1 July when the Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra pending an ethics probe which could take months. Power passed to transport minister and deputy prime minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit who took office for only one full day, as the bombshell was dropped in an awkward interim ahead of the reshuffle. When former defence minister Phumtham Wechayachai is sworn into his new position as interior...

Economy

Government Officials Undergo Water Rescue Training as Rainy Season Starts

From 30 June to 2 July, officials from key government agencies in Laos, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, participated...

Tourism Fuels Revenue Surge in Luang Prabang in Five Months of 2025

Luang Prabang earned nearly LAK 700 billion (USD 32 million) in the first five months of 2025, with tourism playing a significant role, said Khammouane Khambounme, Head of the...

Lao Inflation Rate Eases to 7.2 Percent in June

Laos’ inflation rate eased for the second month in a row, falling to 7.2 percent in June 2025 from 8.3 percent in May, according to the latest report from...

THAILAND: Contract Signing for Three-Airport High-Speed Rail Expected in July After Five-Year Delay

Thailand’s high-speed rail project connecting Don Mueang, Suvarnabhumi, and U-Tapao airports is set to finally move forward, with the signing of the revised contract expected this July. Owned by the...

Laos Deploys Soldiers as Volunteers to Address Rural Teacher Shortages

Laos will recruit 2,000 soldiers to serve as volunteer substitute teachers in remote areas across the country, the Ministry of National Defense announced on 29 June. The initiative, carried out...

Laos Strengthens Connectivity with 18 Cross-Border Transmission Lines

Laos has expanded its telecommunications network, now operating 18 cross-border transmission lines with Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and China. Officials announced the development on 26 June during the 9th Ordinary...

Travel

ASEAN Rail Tourism Corridor Takes Center Stage at Mekong Tourism Forum 2025

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 under the theme “United Journey – Stronger Together,” the forum brought together tourism officials and business leaders from Laos, Cambodia, China, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam to discuss ways to improve cross-border travel. A key session was the first Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Tourism Private Sector Workshop on 25 June, which focused on strengthening regional connectivity through initiatives such as the ARTC. The ARTC aims to link major cities, including  Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Nong Khai, Vientiane, and Boten,...

ASEAN Rail Tourism Corridor Takes Center Stage at Mekong Tourism Forum 2025

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...

Vientiane Launches Sustainable Tourism Initiative with Innovative Technology for Growth

The Lao government has announced plans to boost tourism in Vientiane Capital with the theme "Vientiane's Sustainable Tourism," The initiative aims to incorporate innovative technologies into tourism management and create new attractions for...

Health & Environment

Green Reporting Training Enhances Digital Literacy of Lao Journalists

Journalists, civil society actors, and youth from across Laos are strengthening their digital reporting skills on environmental issues through the Green Action through Media, Mass Organizations, and Civil Society in Laos (GAMCIL) project. The training, themed “Green Issue Reporting,” is taking place in Vientiane Capital from 30 June to 4 July. Funded by the European Union, the GAMCIL project is jointly implemented in partnership with MICT, LJA, and CARE International. The initiative aims to enhance journalists’ capacity in digital and...

Sport

Lao Telecom Partners with JAS to Launch Premier League Package for 500,000 Lao Fans

Football fans in Laos now have a new reason to celebrate. Jasmine International Public Company Limited (JAS), the exclusive rights holder for the English Premier League (EPL) and FA Cup across Thailand, Cambodia,...

First Equestrian Federation in Laos Sets Stage for Horse Sport Growth

Laos officially entered the world of horse sport with the establishment of its first Equestrian Federation on 26 May. Equestrian sport will make its official national debut at the upcoming 12th National Games, to...

Politics

Government Officials Undergo Water Rescue Training as Rainy Season Starts

From 30 June to 2 July, officials from key government agencies in Laos, including the Ministry of Agriculture and...

Laos Strengthens Connectivity with 18 Cross-Border Transmission Lines

Laos has expanded its telecommunications network, now operating 18 cross-border transmission lines with Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, and China. Officials...

Laos-China Railway Hits New Milestone as Cargo Value Soars Past USD 1.4 Billion

The Laos-China Railway has notched up another milestone in its rapid expansion, transporting more than 2.48 million tones of...

Lao National Assembly Session Concludes 9th Ordinary Session with Approval of New, Revised Legislations

The final day of the 9th National Assembly session closed with the approval of a total of ten laws,...

Feature

Dalai Lama Says he Will Have Successor After his Death

By Tenzin WOEDEN/AFP - The exiled spiritual leader of Tibet confirmed on 2 July that he will have a successor when he dies, reassuring Buddhist followers around the globe that the 600-year-old institution of the Dalai Lama will continue. It is a landmark decision for Tibetans, many of whom had feared a future without a leader, as well as for global supporters who see the Dalai Lama as a symbol of non-violence, compassion and the enduring struggle for Tibetan cultural identity under Chinese rule. According to Tibetans, Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is lauded by his followers for his tireless campaign for greater autonomy for Tibet, a vast high-altitude plateau in China about the size of South Africa. He and thousands of other Tibetans have lived in exile in India since Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959. The charismatic Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist had previously said the institution of Dalai Lama would continue only if there was popular demand. He said Wednesday he had received multiple appeals over the past 14 years from Tibetan diaspora in exile, Buddhists from across the...

Laos Strengthens Connectivity with 18 Cross-Border Transmission Lines

Laos has expanded its telecommunications network, now operating 18...

Laos-China Railway Hits New Milestone as Cargo Value Soars Past USD 1.4 Billion

The Laos-China Railway has notched up another milestone in...

Laos Undertakes Major Government Reshuffle Amid Structural Reforms

The Lao government has carried out a sweeping reshuffle,...

Kiwa PVEL Releases 11th Edition of the PV Module Reliability Scorecard

The total number of Top Performers remains steady, but...

AXA Launches “Max Goal II Insurance Plan”

Shortest guaranteed breakeven timeframe and market-first Wealth Master Service to...