World

US Court Strikes Down 75-Country Visa Pause, but Ruling Does Not Lift Laos Travel Ban

A US federal judge has struck down a Trump administration policy that paused immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including Laos. The ruling, issued on 21 August by US District Judge Jeannette Vargas in Manhattan, found that the State Department had exceeded its legal authority by stopping consular...

Japanese Arrivals to Laos Jump 36 Percent Amid Renewed Tokyo Tourism Push

Laos welcomed 23,133 Japanese tourists in the first six months of 2026, a 36...

Prime Minister Calls for Tighter Oversight of Boten SEZ Amid Development Challenges

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has called for stronger management of the Boten Special Economic...

Laos-China Railway Trade Surges as Cross-Border Freight Hits New Highs

Trade along the Laos-China Railway continued to grow sharply in the first half of...

Van Crash in Thailand Kills Two Lao Nationals, Injuries 12

A passenger van carrying 14 Lao nationals crashed and caught fire in Thailand's Roi...

Thailand Set to Welcome 20 Million Visitors During Songkran Festival

After a three-year hiatus, the popular Songkran (Pi Mai) Festival will be celebrated in Thailand this April, with more than 20 million visitors expected...

Woman Decapitated in Gruesome Vientiane Hit and Run

A woman was decapitated in a gruesome hit-and-run accident Thursday evening in Vientiane's Sikhottabong District after a pickup truck hit her bike head-on. The victim...

Japan Supports School Improvements in Savannakhet and Oudomxay

The Government of Japan is providing grant assistance worth approximately USD 200,000 for two education projects in Savannakhet Province and Oudomxay Province for the...

Thailand Uses Helicopters to Fight Mountain Wildfires

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai authorities used helicopters Thursday to try to contain a fire that overnight engulfed two mountains on largely undeveloped forest land...

Religious Ceremony Held at Pakse Bridge After Three Suicides

Monks and laypeople gathered at Pakse Bridge on Thursday, performing a religious ceremony to bless the bridge following a wave of suicides. The ceremony was...

Cambodia’s Social Health Insurance Scheme Extended to Tuk-Tuk Drivers

Cambodian Tuk-Tuk drivers will now have access to a new social health insurance scheme as part of a pilot project starting April 1, designed...