Regional

More Lao Citizens Live Abroad as Foreign Population Nearly Doubles

The number of foreign nationals living in Laos has nearly doubled over the past decade, led by a sharp increase in Chinese residents, even as hundreds of thousands of Lao citizens live abroad. Laos recorded 79,827 foreign residents in its 2025 census, up from 45,538 in 2015. The census also...

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...

Timor-Leste Moves to Join Cluster Munition Ban at Vientiane Conference

Timor-Leste has taken a formal step toward joining the Convention on Cluster Munitions, signing...

Seven-Year-Old Becomes Laos’ Youngest Internationally Rated Chess Player

Seven-year-old Bounthiengtham “Jayson” Sengphachan has already done something no Lao chess player his age...

Thailand’s HIV Cases Pass 550,000, Laos Reports Rising Infections Among Young People

Thailand has recorded 557,993 cumulative HIV cases, health authorities say, even as new infections...

Vietnam Frees Australian Pro-democracy Campaigner Sentenced in 2019 to 12 Years in Prison

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Vietnam allowed 73-year-old pro-democracy campaigner Chau Van Kham to return home to Sydney on Tuesday after Australian Prime Minister Anthony...

Lao Deputy PM Meets Senior Chinese Diplomat to Discuss Future Cooperation

Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith met with Wang Yi, director of the Office of Foreign Affairs Commission of...

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha Retires from Politics

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who held power for almost nine years following a military coup in 2014, has announced his retirement from politics. Prayut's...

Myanmar Violence and SEA Disputes to Dominate Asean Talks Joined by US, Russian and Chinese Envoys

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Myanmar’s prolonged civil strife, tensions in the disputed South China Sea, and concern over arms buildups in the region are...

Cambodia Records This Year’s Fifth Irrawaddy Dolphin Calf in Mekong River

Cambodia has discovered the fifth newborn dolphin in the northern province of Kratie, expanding the Mekong Irrawaddy dolphin population in the region. Khmer Times reports...

Lao Youth Union Proposes Draft Law to Protect Lao Youth

The Lao Youth Union (LYU) has put forward a draft law to the 9th National Assembly, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding and promoting Lao...