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...

Laos, Cambodia Launch New Trade Route to China for Fruits, Crops

On 22 June, Laos and Cambodia launched coordinated export and transit procedures for plants and plant products, formalising a trade corridor that increasingly channels...

Laos, China Approve Seven New Development Projects Worth USD 3.31 Million

Laos has secured seven new development projects worth USD3.31 million under the Mekong–Lancang Special Fund for 2026, as it deepens cooperation with China on...

Lao Deputy PM Holds Talks in Myanmar to Deepen Bilateral Ties

Laos and Myanmar are moving to expand bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors following an official visit to Myanmar by Lao Minister of Foreign Affairs...

Vietnam Rolls Out Digital Pre-Arrival System

Vietnam has launched the Pre-Arrival Information (PAI) system, replacing the paper arrival card that travelers previously filled out at the border with an online...

Little Lao Culture Bar Celebrates Second Anniversary in Luang Prabang

On 5–6 June, Little Lao Culture Bar celebrated its second anniversary by bringing together some of Asia’s most influential bars and bartenders for a...

Lao Buddhist Organization Tightens Social Media Guidelines

The Lao Buddhist Fellowship Organization has issued new nationwide guidelines governing how monks use social media, highlighting growing concerns about online conduct as digital...