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...

Maldives Begins ‘Generational Ban’ on Smoking

AFP - The Maldives began implementing a smoking ban Saturday on anyone born after January 2007, becoming the only nation with a generational prohibition...

Thailand Cancels November Full Moon Party Amid National Mourning

Thailand’s famed Full Moon Party, held annually on Haad Rin Beach in Koh Phangan, Surat Thani Province, will not take place this November.  The event,...

Vietnam Flood Death Toll Rises to 35: Disaster Agency

AFP - Record heavy rains and flooding in central Vietnam last week killed 35 people, disaster management officials said on 2 November, with five...

Thai Ex-Pm Thaksin’s Party Elects New Leader After Daughter’s Exit

One of Thailand's largest political parties, founded by ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, elected a new leader on Friday, the party said, following the resignation of...

In the Black: The Business of Mourning Thailand’s Queen Mother

AFP - In a bustling Bangkok market, hundreds of wholesale vendors have been selling black clothing since dawn -- several with hefty discounts --...

Laos, Republic of Korea Celebrate 30 Years of Diplomatic Relations with Launch of Lao Digital Park

Laos and the Republic of Korea (ROK) are celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations by launching the Lao Digital Park Project, a landmark initiative...