World

Lao Migrant Workers Send Home USD 500 Million in First Seven Months of 2026

Lao migrant workers sent an estimated USD 500.7 million back to Laos during the first seven months of 2026, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.  The ministry shared the figures during a labor migration meeting in Vientiane on 22 September. Employment Department Director General Anousone Khamsingsavath said...

Vietnam Emerges as Laos’ Second-Largest Foreign Investor with USD 8 Billion in Projects

Vietnam has become Laos's second-largest foreign investor, with more than 400 projects worth a...

Laos, China Launch Digital Payment Link For Cross-Border Transactions

Laos and China have launched a new digital payment link that allows Chinese visitors...

Miss Universe Dispute Leaves Six Southeast Asian Franchises in Limbo

The Miss Universe Organization is facing a major dispute just weeks before its 75th...

Laos, Thailand Move Forward With Plans for New Friendship Bridge Linking Vientiane, Loei

Laos and Thailand are studying a possible new Friendship Bridge linking Vientiane Province with...

Thai Prosecutors Say Former Prime Minister Thaksin Is Being Investigated for Royal Defamation

State prosecutors in Thailand said Tuesday they have revived an investigation into whether former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra almost nine years ago violated the...

Tensions Run High in New Zealand Ahead of National Day Over Government’s Relationship With Maori

WAITANGI, New Zealand (AP) — In a fiery exchange at the birthplace of modern New Zealand, Indigenous leaders on Monday strongly criticized the government’s...

Debt-Stricken Sri Lanka Signs a Free Trade Pact With Thailand

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Debt-stricken Sri Lanka signed a trade pact with Thailand on 3 January in a bid to boost trade and...

Out of Options, Rohingya Are Fleeing Myanmar, Bangladesh by Boat Despite Soaring Death Toll

SYDNEY (AP) — Across a treacherous stretch of water, the Rohingya came by the thousands, then died by the hundreds. And though they know...

BCEL Launches New Payment App for Tourists During Visit Laos Year 2024

Banque pour le Commerce Exterieur Lao Public (BCEL) has unveiled the EZyKip application in a bid to streamline currency exchange for tourists visiting Laos...

‘ASEAN Drive Tourism Initiative’ Gets Nod from Five Nations

Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia have greenlighted the "ASEAN Drive Tourism" initiative, which will allow tourists to travel across these countries as a...