Phontham Visapra

Laos Cuts Public Debt to 88 Percent of GDP, Reports Budget Surplus

Laos has successfully reduced public debt from 112 percent of GDP in 2022 to about 88 percent in 2025, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone said...

Laos Reaffirms Commitment to Inclusive Growth and Social Progress at UN Summit

Laos has reaffirmed its commitment to inclusive, people-centered development and called for stronger international cooperation to tackle poverty and inequality at the Second World...

Philippine Death Toll Tops 140 as Typhoon Heads Towards Vietnam

By Faith Brown with Cecil Morella in Manila/AFP - Typhoon Kalmaegi has killed at least 140 people and left another 127 missing after unleashing...

Lao-Hmong Refugee Kaohly Her Makes History as St. Paul’s Next Mayor

State Representative Kaohly Her made history on 4 November, becoming the first woman and first Hmong American elected mayor of St. Paul, the capital...

Thailand Cancels November Full Moon Party Amid National Mourning

Thailand’s famed Full Moon Party, held annually on Haad Rin Beach in Koh Phangan, Surat Thani Province, will not take place this November.  The event,...

Vietnam Flood Death Toll Rises to 35: Disaster Agency

AFP - Record heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam last week killed 35 people, disaster management officials said on 2 November, with five...

Thai Ex-Pm Thaksin’s Party Elects New Leader After Daughter’s Exit

One of Thailand's largest political parties, founded by ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, elected a new leader on Friday, the party said, following the resignation of...

In the Black: The Business of Mourning Thailand’s Queen Mother

AFP - In a bustling Bangkok market, hundreds of wholesale vendors have been selling black clothing since dawn -- several with hefty discounts --...

Lao MSMEs Struggle with Financing, Bureaucracy Despite Economic Growth

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Laos face ongoing challenges, including limited access to finance, complex administrative procedures, and poor business documentation, according...

Luang Prabang Scores Silver for Sustainable Tourism 2025–2027

Luang Prabang has set a new benchmark for sustainable tourism in Laos by earning the Green Destinations Silver certification for 2025–2027.  Soudaphone Khomthavong, Director of...

Record Vietnam Rains Kill Seven, Flood 100,000 Homes

Flooding triggered by record heavy rains in central Vietnam this week killed at least seven people and inundated more than 100,000 homes, the environment...

Myanmar to Invite Foreign Media Coverage of Upcoming Election

AFP - International media will be allowed to cover Myanmar's upcoming military-run polls, election authorities said on 29 October. The military-stacked Union Election Commission said...

Philippines to Take ASEAN Chair With Focus on South China Sea

By Martin Abbugao/AFP - Malaysia handed over the chairmanship of Southeast Asia's regional bloc to the Philippines on 28 October, with territorial disputes in the...

Contamination Detected in Popular Thai Herbal Inhaler, Nationwide Recall Issued

On 28 October, Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that Hong Thai’s popular Formula 2 herbal inhaler failed safety tests due to contamination,...