Government

Laos Authorities Arrest Four in Alleged Marriage Trafficking Network

On 23 July, Lao authorities arrested four people suspected of operating a human trafficking network that allegedly recruited Lao women for irregular marriages with foreign nationals, officials reported. Authorities said police traced the brokers to Kham district in Xieng Khouang Province and Nongkeng village in Xaythany district, Vientiane Capital, with...

Cambodia, Vietnam, Belarus, Others Mourn Death of Lao NA President Xaysomphone

Foreign leaders and diplomatic missions are paying tribute to Xaysomphone Phomvihane, President of the...

Laos Considers VAT Exemption to Subsidize Electricity for Low-Income Households

Laos’ National Assembly (NA) is considering a proposal to exempt subsidized residential electricity from...

Laos National Assembly President Xaysomphone Phomvihane Dies at 69

Xaysomphone Phomvihane, President of Laos’ National Assembly and one of the country’s most senior...

Laos Deports 32 Thai Nationals After ST Vegas Raid

Laos has deported 32 Thai nationals following a major police operation at the ST...

Laos Sees 1.2 Million Tourist Arrivals in Q1 2025, Up 28 Percent from Previous Year

Laos welcomed over 1.2 million tourists in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 28 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024,...

Six Decades of Tension: Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute Might Head to International Court

Cambodia is escalating a decades-old border dispute with Thailand to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), following the death of a Cambodian soldier in...

Laos Improves in Corruption Index but Still Ranks Among Southeast Asia’s Lowest

Laos has made noticeable progress in the fight against corruption, improving its score by five points in the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released...

Lao Government Unveils Four Strategies to Boost Domestic Power Generation

The Lao government has announced four key strategies aimed at accelerating domestic power generation, to address the country’s ongoing electricity shortage.  Speaking at a National...

Laos Shakes Up Cabinet in Sweeping Reform, Names New Central Bank Chief

Laos has carried out a sweeping government reshuffle, replacing or reassigning nine ministers along with the governor of the central bank.  The move follows a...

Lao Government Enforces Ban on Unregistered, Unlabeled Imported Food Starting 1 July

Starting 1 July, Laos will prohibit the import and sale of unregistered food products that lack approval from the Food and Drug Administration or...