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...

97 Percent of SEA Countries Breathed Unhealthy Air in 2022

A recent report by IQAir, the world's largest free real-time air quality information platform, reveals that air quality in more than 97% of Southeast...

Thai Police Bust Call Scammers Who Preyed on Older Americans

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police said Wednesday they busted an international gang that operated call centers to deceive older Americans into wiring them money,...

Sri Lanka Warns its Citizens Against Job Scams in Golden Triangle SEZ

The Honorary Consulate of Sri Lanka in Laos has advised its citizens to not fall prey to job scams in Laos after a group...

A Quarter Of World Population Lacks Safe Drinking Water: UN

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — A report issued on the eve of the first major UN conference on water in over 45 years says 26%...

Staff Shortage, High Production Costs Remain Key Obstacles To Lao Businesses

The Macroeconomics Research Institute (MRI) recently conducted a survey to identify the main obstacles businesses are facing in Laos. According to the survey results, the...

Police Besiege Gunman in Thailand Who Killed at Least Three

BANGKOK (AP) — Police in Thailand said Wednesday they cordoned off a neighborhood in a city southwest of the capital and trapped a gunman...