Regional

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 has done before. The young player from Vientiane Chess Academy recently became the youngest Lao player to receive an official FIDE Rapid rating, a ranking based on performance in faster-paced chess games, scoring 1503 after a...

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,...

Former MRC Chief Anoulak Kittikhoun Named First Lao Head of Mekong Institute

Former Mekong River Commission (MRC) Chief Executive Officer Anoulak Kittikhoun has been appointed Executive...

Lao Police Arrest Two Nationals in Cross-Border Heroin Investigation

Two Lao nationals have been arrested in Laos as part of a growing cross-border...

Chiang Mai Issues Work From Home Order as Air Pollution Levels Spike

Thai Authorities urged residents of Chiang Mai, to stay indoors and work from home last Friday as air pollution reached hazardous levels in the...

New Declaration Presses Mekong Countries, Partners to Intensify Cooperation

The Southeast Asian members of the Mekong River Commission issued a landmark declaration at the 4th MRC Summit on Wednesday, reiterating the region’s commitment to...

Fighting in Myanmar Sends Thousands Fleeing to Thailand

BANGKOK (AP) — More than 5,000 people have fled from eastern Myanmar into Thailand in recent days as fighting between Myanmar’s army and armed...

Vietnam’s UNESCO Town Hoi An to Collect Entry Fees from Visitors

The historic town of Hoi An, located on Vietnam's central coast, will soon be implementing entry fees for visitors beginning in mid-May. According to local...

Vientiane Authorities Alert Vendors to Not Raise Prices During Lao New Year

With the Lao New Year festival just around the corner, the Department of Industry and Commerce in Vientiane Capital has reminded shopkeepers and stall...

UN Suggests Leveraging Public Debt for Development Gains

While the average government debt level in the Asia-Pacific region is at an 18-year high, this is not necessarily bad news, and it is...