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...

Indonesia Revokes Visa-Free Entry for Non-ASEAN Countries

The Indonesian government has suspended visa-free entry for citizens of 159 countries and territories, citing concerns about public order and the potential transmission of...

Over 100,000 Tourists Enter Laos via Bokeo Province in 2023

From January to May 2023, Bokeo province reported that 116,142 tourists entered across the 4th Lao-Thai International Friendship Bridge and through the Golden Triangle...

BOL Gives More Flexibility to Commercial Banks on Foreign Currency Exchange

The Bank of Laos has issued a notice to provide better flexibility in foreign currency exchange rates to commercial banks as the LAK’s value...

UN Expert Urges a Different Approach to Resolve the Crisis in Myanmar

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — An independent expert working with the United Nations on the issue of human rights in Myanmar urged the international community...

Thai Actor Donates USD 3 Million to Lao and Thai Hospitals

Thai actor and singer Phakin “Tono” Khamwilaisak, who swam across the Mekong River in 2022 to raise funds for two hospitals in Khammouane, Laos,...

Lao President Visits Communist Party Secretary in Chongqing, China

Mr. Thongloun Sisoulith, President of Laos, visited Mr. Yuan Jiajun, Communist Party Secretary of Chongqing, on Monday. During his visit, the Lao president praised Chongqing's...