Economy

Prime Minister Calls for Tighter Oversight of Boten SEZ Amid Development Challenges

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has called for stronger management of the Boten Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Luang Namtha as Laos seeks to expand the border area as a trade and investment hub. Laos began developing the Boten SEZ in 2012 to attract investment in finance, trade, industry, transport and...

Laos-China Railway Trade Surges as Cross-Border Freight Hits New Highs

Trade along the Laos-China Railway continued to grow sharply in the first half of...

Laos Identifies Two New Rare Earth Target Areas Across Four Provinces

Laos has completed field surveys and identified two major potential rare earth target areas...

Laos Studies USD 1 Billion Vientiane-Lidu Industrial Park in Pakngum

On 13 August, Laos agreed to study the development of a new industrial park...

Laos Border Checkpoints Report Strong Revenue Growth in First Half of 2026, Exceed Targets

Laos’ international border checkpoints collected strong state budget revenue in the first half of...

Malaysia Is Eighth Largest Foreign Investor in Laos

Malaysia has emerged as the eighth largest foreign investor in Laos with investments of RM 2.3 billion from 2000 to 2015. Malaysian Ambassador to Laos,...

PM Thongloun: ASEAN to Become World’s No. 4 Economy by 2030

VIENTIANE -- A new economic order will emerge by 2030, with Southeast Asia taking on a central role, Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told...

Railways May Build the New ASEAN Community

BANGKOK - The leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will gather in the Laotian capital Vientiane from September 6-8 for their first...

As Budget Drops, MRC Prepares for New Laos Dam

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) is still reeling from the blowback over its handling of the consultation process around the Don Sahong and Xayaburi...

Recharging Asia’s Battery: What Obama Should Do in Laos

Next week, Barack Obama will be the first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos, a poor, landlocked country whose large-scale efforts to dam the...

Laotian Minister: Laos Full of Opportunities For Korean Investors

Laotian Planning and Investment Minister Souphanh Keomixay said Thursday, the Southeast Asian country seeks to strengthen economic ties with Korea through investments from private...