Feature

Lao, Thai Textile Traditions Meet in Dress at Bangkok Exhibition

A gown combining Thai silk and Lao fabric brought two neighbouring countries' textile traditions together at an international fashion exhibition in Bangkok in October. Titled Lao-Thai Solidarity, the dress featured traditional Lao weaving patterns alongside Thai silk, with each material making up half of the design. Lao designer Khamphao Bouaphanh, founder...

Laos Turns to Community Support as Young People Face Rising Mental Health Pressures

Mental health challenges often go unnoticed in Laos, where people experiencing anxiety and emotional...

Lao Scholar Draws on History to Explore What Makes a Country ‘Great’

In many Lao communities, temples are among the cleanest places around. People sweep the...

The Photographer Who Speaks for Laos’ Forests

In the forests of Laos, observation comes before words for Souksamlan “Toun” Laladeth. That idea...

Deported to Laos, US Returnees Find Their Way in an Unfamiliar Home

The men behind a barbecue grill in Vientiane speak English more easily than Lao. Some...

Riding the Globalization Wave

Driving through the capital city of Vientiane, its apparent that in the past five years, the country has stepped up its globalization game. With...

Southern Islands Report Extreme Downtrend in Tourism for 2017

With tourism as a primary focus for the government this year, the rapid decline of tourists visiting the twin islands of Don Det and...

Seatbelt Regulation To Be Rolled Back, Revised

Last week, The Laotian Times reported road users in Hadxayfong District receiving hefty fines for failure to use seatbelts. Vientiane drivers took to social media to...

Star Telecom Wins Bid to Develop Population Management for Laos

On June 9th, the Ministry of Home Affairs signed a contract allowing Star Telecom (widely known as Unitel) to move forward in developing the Population...

Connecting the Unconnected with an Offline Internet System

In this day and age, one thing is for certain; information is power. Over four billion people in developing countries are missing out on that...

Private Businesses Struggle to Find Financing

Business banking in Laos has taken a severe hit in the past few years as government officials have started limiting funds that have been...