Regional

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...

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...

Laos, Vietnam Set USD 4 Billion Trade Goal as Economic Ties Grow

Laos and Vietnam are pushing to take their economic partnership to the next level,...

Laos Ready to Compete at 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, Targeting at Least Five Golds

The Lao National Olympic Committee announced on 5 December that Laos will send its athletes to compete in the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games,...

Over Half a Million Evacuated in Cambodia, Thailand During Border Clashes

More than 500,000 people have fled their homes to safety in Thailand and Cambodia since the start of a reignited border conflict, both governments...

SEA Games to Open in Thailand After Chaotic Build-up

By Matt SURRUSCO/AFP - The Southeast Asian Games officially open in Bangkok on 8 December, against a backdrop of chaotic organization, with fresh border...

Laos–Vietnam Railway Construction to Begin in 2026, Operations Targeted for 2030

Construction of the first railway linking Laos and Vietnam is scheduled to begin in 2026, with the line expected to become operational by 2030,...

Survivors Pick Up Pieces in Flood-Hit Indonesia as More Rain Predicted

By Marchio GORBIANO and Taris IMAN/AFP - Survivors in Indonesia were piecing back shattered lives Friday after devastating floods killed more than 1,750 people...

Laos-Vietnam Trade, Investment Surges as Leaders Eye USD 5 Billion Target

Trade between Laos and Vietnam reached USD 2.6 billion in the first ten months of 2025, a 50 percent rise from last year.  These numbers...