Law and Crime

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 village, Pakngum district, after its leader declared herself the reincarnation of Phra Sri Ariya Metrai, the Maitreya Buddha that Buddhist tradition says will one day appear on earth to succeed Gautama Buddha. Under the 24 September...

Corruption Crackdown in Laos’s Attapeu Province Uncovers Millions in Financial Irregularities

Attapeu authorities have detailed five years of corruption investigations and financial irregularities, including a...

Xaysomboun Identifies Four Companies Over Unauthorized Gold Mining

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

Laos Detains 33 Suspects in Two-Day Vientiane Cybercrime Crackdown

Lao authorities detained 33 people, all Chinese nationals, in a two-day operation targeting cybercrime...

Latest Scam Center Raids Hit Vientiane, Champasak with Nearly 100 Arrests

Laos has detained nearly 100 suspected scammers in raids across the country last week,...

Lao Man Arrested in Thailand for Producing, Selling Child Abuse Content

Thai police arrested a 20-year-old Lao national on 6 July at a resort in Muang District, Surin Province, for allegedly producing and distributing child...

Drunken Card Game Turns Deadly in Houaphanh, Suspect Reenacts Scene

A card game in Houaphanh Province ended in tragedy on 27 March when a night of heavy drinking turned violent, leaving one man dead...

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...

Vientiane Province Mandates Illegal Vehicles Registeration

Owners of illegal or undocumented vehicles in Muen district, Vientiane Province, must register their vehicles within 45 days of 30 June, following a new...

Death Toll Rises to Eight, Two Missing in Saraburi Factory Blaze

A fire that broke out on 30 June at a tissue paper factory in Saraburi’s Hemaraj Industrial Estate has claimed at least eight lives,...

Southeast Asia Ramps Up Drug Control as Laos, Myanmar Destroy Massive Stashes on International Anti-Drug Day

Laos marked the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on 26 June with nationwide drug-burning ceremonies, showcasing its ongoing anti-narcotics efforts and...