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...

Over 204 Deaths, One Survivor Confirmed in Air India Ahmedabad-London Plane Crash

LATEST UPDATE 12 June at 10:46 PM By The Laotian Times and AFP Air India confirms London-bound flight AI171 crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, with 242...

Toxic Arsenic Contamination Spreads from Northern Thailand into the Mekong River

Arsenic contamination in northern Thailand has reached critical levels, with toxic pollutants now spreading into the Mekong River, according to Thailand's Pollution Control Department...

Vietnam Lawmakers Approve Merging Provinces, Slashing Nearly 80,000 Jobs

AFP - Vietnam's National Assembly on 12 June approved plans to merge provinces and cities, slashing nearly 80,000 state jobs, as part of major...

Six Decades of Tension: Cambodia-Thailand Border Dispute Might Head to International Court

Cambodia is escalating a decades-old border dispute with Thailand to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), following the death of a Cambodian soldier in...

China’s Aircraft Maker Seeks Majority Stake in Lao Airlines Amid Reforms

The Lao government is weighing a proposal from China’s Commercial Aircraft Corporation (COMAC) to acquire a controlling stake in Lao Airlines, part of a...

Bokeo Launches Task Force and Watchtower Amid Surge in Methamphetamine Seizures

Bokeo Province has intensified efforts to combat drug trafficking and related crimes with the launch of a special task force and the completion of...