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 Lifts Dress Code Restriction for Female Lawyers

In a significant move toward gender equality, female lawyers in Thailand can now wear trousers to court as of 24 March. This marks a...

Fire in Phou Phanang Forest Contained After Nine Grueling Days

After nine long days, authorities managed to extinguish the blazing forest fire in the Phou Phanang National Protected Area on 28 March. The fire, which...

Indonesia Stripped of Hosting Under-20 World Cup by FIFA

GENEVA (AP) — Indonesia was stripped of hosting rights for the Under-20 World Cup on Wednesday only eight weeks before the start of the...

Lao Nationals Apprehended in Cambodia for Smuggling Drugs

Police in Cambodia have arrested two Lao nationals for smuggling methamphetamine pills across the Laos-Cambodia border to Stung Treng province. Nok Sovannasan, 23, and...

Myanmar Junta Dissolves Suu Kyi’s Party, Much of Opposition

BANGKOK (AP) — Myanmar's military government took another major step in its ongoing campaign to cripple its political opponents on Wednesday, dissolving dozens of...

Shake Shack to Open First Store in Bangkok on 30 March

Shake Shack, the popular American fast casual restaurant chain, is all set to open its first store in Bangkok, Thailand. The new store will be...