Champasack province in southern Laos is dotted with stunning, pristine waterfalls, as our photographer Johnny discovered on a recent trip. Here are some of the amazing images he captured while there.
Actor Harrison Ford Visits Luang Prabang
Actor Harrison Ford made a visit to Luang Prabang yesterday, stopping to make merit at Pha O temple and meeting with Sathou Onekeo Sittivong, the abbot of Wat Xieng Thong, Wat Pakkhan, and Wat Pha O, as well as being the Provincial Head of the Luang Prabang Buddhist Fellowship.
Meet Laos’ First Private Analytical Environmental Services Firm
On the 29th of March, Phanthamit Analytical Lab Company held a launch ceremony and officially became the first private, independent environmental analytical lab company in Laos. Present at this historic moment was Deputy Agriculture and Forestry Minister Phouangparisack Pravongviengkham, Deputy Science and Technology Minister Houmphanh Intharath, Charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Luxembourg to Laos Claude Jentgen, and representatives from several authorities.
Phanthamit Analytical Lab Company was in fact founded earlier in 2015 by Khuanchay Siphakanlaya and Innogreen Engineering Company, Greener Consultant Company and Easter Thai Consulting 1992 Company also joined the venture as its shareholders.
“We realized the importance and demand for laboratory services which are increasing in apparel with the development and the growth of business sector in various areas namely water quality and environmental analysis, analysis for development projects namely dams, mining and basic infrastructure development projects as well as food and non food industry and agricultural processing industry,” said Vongsack Mixay, the company’s Managing Director.
Since its legal inception in late 2015, Phanthamit Analytical Lab Company began to build its laboratory to provide environmental laboratory service including water quality analysis. In addition to building the laboratory, the company also employs laboratory operation innovations that meet the international standard, ISO/IEC 17025, an internationally recognized laboratory benchmark.
Phanthamit has spent close to two years on preparing for obtaining ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. It was approved in December 2017, making the company the first private lab to have been awarded such an accreditation in Laos.
The lab can currently provide water quality testing for clean water, waste water and surface water and air and soil quality analysis, vibration and noise measurement services.
The company also plans to strengthen its capacity to be able to provide quality analysis for food, agricultural products and lab equipment testing services as the company has signed an MOU with AMARC of Thailand.
The company is currently in process of preparation and studying whether it is possible to provide product standardization services for exporters, entrepreneurs and SMEs and ODOP entrepreneurs.
“I strongly believe that being international standard lab that meets ISO standard, Phanthamit will help create trust for investors, both domestic and foreign, for their business operation and development in the Lao PDR,” said Mr Vongsack.
Source: KPL
Theun-Hinboun: 500% Return On Investment For Lao Government
The Theun-Hinboun Power Company (THPC) organized an event to celebrate its 20th Anniversary of operations in Vientiane last Saturday. It had been exactly twenty years since the plant had commenced commercial operations on the 31st of March, 1998.
Phishing Site Claims to be BCEL One in April Fools Prank
Online scammers have just gotten trickier and this time they were after the sensitive financial data of state bank BCEL’s faithful customers, and launching it on April Fool’s Day.
In a nefarious plan to steal BCEL clients’ data, scammers created the website www.bcel.ml, as a way to lure customers to input their login names and passwords, for which they would normally do on the desktop browser version of its popular online service, BCEL One. The scammers deviously promised to enter the user into a lucky draw with further promises of more prizes.
Due to having started as a social media post that quickly went viral, it is impossible to determine the original post and identity of the perpetrators.
Once this was suspected of being a phishing scam, the fake web owners placed an April Fools sign up on the now deactivated site after an unknown number of users had already used it.
While there is a possibility that this was a legitimate April Fools prank, it is strongly recommended that all users of BCEL One change their passwords immediately to avoid possible compromising of their financial accounts.
The authentic URL of BCEL One’s service is https://www.bcel.com.la:8083/index.php.
Source: Tonamcha News
Reducing Single-Use Plastic Bottle Consumption in Luang Prabang
It is estimated that more than 100 million disposable plastic water bottles are consumed by travellers every year in Laos. Most of them are not recycled. In many areas of the country, where waste management systems are not available yet, people burn their waste. Open burning of plastic waste is a major source of air pollution and releases toxic gases that can cause serious health problems such as cancer, impotence and asthma.
The tourism industry in Luang Prabang is leading a campaign to reduce single-use plastic water bottles. Many hotels and tour operators, restaurant and cafes, museums and other businesses in the town center offer safe drinking water refill stations. Both visitors and residents can easily refill their bottles at their premises for free, or pay less than buying a new plastic water bottle. This campaign is led by the Department of Information, Culture and Tourism of Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang Travel Agents Association and Luang Prabang Hotels and Restaurants Association and is supported by Luang Prabang – Handle With Care Project which is co-funded by the European Union as part of the EU SWITCH ASIA II Programme and implemented by GIZ.
Moreover, a handful of businesses in Luang Prabang have initiated their own plastic bottle boycott with the Refill Not Landfill initiative. Their objective is simple: give tourists the opportunity to help eliminate plastic bottle waste in the UNESCO Heritage City.
“I asked a few businesses if they wanted to pool resources to buy non-plastic reusable bottles to do our bit in reducing plastic bottle waste in Luang Prabang, and also to help make guests aware,” said Paul Burnett, General Manager of the Sanakeo Boutique Hotel & Spa.
The Refill Not Landfill group purchased light gauge stainless steel bottles, which the individual businesses offer to their guests and customers.
Burnett said the Refill not Landfill initiative complements Luang Prabang’s ongoing reusable bottle efforts by targeting tourists.
“Tourists can refill their bottles at some 30 stations around the city,” he said, “And, they go home with a lovely souvenir of their time in Luang Prabang.”
Source: We Are Lao & Champa Meuanglao Magazine
The UK’s Heathfield International School Brings New Standards to Laos
The United Kingdom’s Heathfield International School has recently arrived, making Vientiane the home of its second branch in Asia (the first being in Bangkok), bringing new standards to Laos.
Champa Meuanglao Launches “My Favorite Place” Photo Competition
Champa Meuanglao Magazine, together with Lao Airlines, is calling on photographers of all backgrounds and experience levels to enter their best single images of their favorite place in Laos for a chance to win free flights with Lao Airlines.
In line with the Visit Laos Year 2018 initiative, Champa Meuanglao magazine has launched the My Favorite Place photo competition with the hope of inspiring local and foreign photographers, both amateur and professional, to visit the beautiful country of Laos and submit a photo of their favorite place.
Submissions are to be judged by a panel including professional photographers, members of the Champa Meuanglao editorial team, and representative of Lao Airlines.
Entries for the My Favorite Place photo competition are open from 1 April to 31 May, 2018.
Winning photographs will be displayed over a two-page spread titled “My Favorite Place” in upcoming issues of Champa Meuanglao magazine, the official inflight magazine of Lao Airlines, and an exhibition of winning entries will be held at Kualao Restaurant, in Vientiane Capital.
Prizes include flights to Hanoi, Chiang Mai, and Luang Prabang.
For more information, contestants are advised to visit www.champameuanglao.com/myfavoriteplace or contact Champa Meuanglao magazine on +856 20 55731717.
