Law

Laos to Reopen Applications for Non-Bank Financial Institutions by End of 2026

The Lao central bank plans to resume accepting applications to establish new non-bank financial institutions by the end of 2026, after suspending new applications earlier this year to review and update licensing regulations. Visone Saysongkham, head of the non-bank financial institution supervision department at the Bank of the Lao PDR...

Vientiane Shuts Down KM38 Dharma Practice Center After Leader Defies Order Over Reborn Buddha Claim

On 24 September, Vientiane authorities shut down the KM38 Dharma Practice Center in Sangsai...

Xaysomboun Identifies Four Companies Over Unauthorized Gold Mining

Authorities in Xaysomboun Province have identified four companies allegedly involved in unauthorized alluvial gold...

Thailand Restores 30-Day Visa-Free Stay, Limits Visa-Free Land Entries to Twice a Year

UPDATED on 30 September with an official confirmation from the Thai Embassy Thailand has cut...

Houaphanh Finds LAK 12.8 Billion in Losses Linked to Official Violations

Authorities in Houaphanh, northern Laos, have uncovered 120 officials who had allegedly  violated party...

Vietnam Jails 30 People for Graft Worth USD 45 Million

A court in Vietnam on 11 July jailed 30 people including several former senior officials over graft that cost the state USD 45 million,...

Cambodia to Pass Laws Allowing for Citizenship to Be Stripped

AFP - Cambodian lawmakers amended the constitution 11 July paving the way for people charged with foreign collusion to be stripped of their citizenship,...

Over 70 Million Meth Pills Seized in Bokeo Province in First Half of 2025

Since the beginning of 2025, Bokeo Province has emerged as a major front in Laos’s fight against narcotics, with authorities intercepting over 70 million...

Thailand Drops Casino Legalization Plans After PM Suspended

AFP - Thailand's cabinet on 8 July dropped a bill to legalize casino gambling, a flagship project of the faltering ruling party, which last...

Khammouane Province Orders Closure of Internet Cafes to Tackle Rising Illegal Gambling

Starting by 15 July, all internet cafes and online gambling businesses in Khammouane Province must be shut down, according to a directive issued on...

Two Lao Nationals Detained in Thailand with Wildlife Carcasses in Trafficking Crackdown

Thai officials have arrested two Lao nationals caught trafficking over 100 kilograms of wildlife carcasses in Chiang Rai Province, near the Lao-Thai border on...