Regional

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 a declaration of accession in Vientiane on 15 September during the treaty’s Third Review Conference. Foreign Minister Bendito dos Santos Freitas signed the Declaration of Accession, and handed to Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister...

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,...

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...

Russian Man Faces Deportation After Obscene Act on Phuket Road Goes Viral

Thai social media went abuzz after a video surfaced showing a man and a Thai woman engaging in obscene behavior on the back of...

Thailand to ‘Clarify Misunderstandings’ after SEA Games Petanque Ban

AFP - Thailand said Tuesday, 23 September, it would "clarify misunderstandings" after the world governing body of petanque effectively barred the nation from hosting...

14 killed, 124 Missing in Taiwan After Barrier Lake Burst

AFP - At least 14 people were killed when a decades-old lake barrier burst in Taiwan, a government official said Wednesday, 24 September, after...

Pétanque Dropped from 2025 Southeast Asian Games Over Thai Federation Scandal

The World Pétanque and Bowls Federation has officially banned all pétanque (boules) competitions from the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, scheduled to take place in...

Thai Authorities Seize Over 14,000 Items of Illegal Cosmetic Silicone, Unregistered Medicines

On 19 September, Thai authorities seized over THB 8 million (approximately USD 251,000) worth of illegal cosmetic products in Bangkok. The seizure included more than...

Laos, Timor-Leste Implement 30-Day Visa-Free Travel

Laos and Timor-Leste have implemented a 30-day visa waiver for citizens holding ordinary passports, effective 15 August. The agreement allows people of both countries...