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...

Ethnic Armed Group Battling Myanmar’s Military Claims to Have Shot Down Army Helicopter

BANGKOK (AP) — An ethnic minority armed group that is battling Myanmar’s military government said they shot down a helicopter believed to be on...

Thai Prime Minister Says Visa-Free Policy for Chinese Visitors to Be Made Permanent in March

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand and China will soon implement visa-free entry for each other’s citizens, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said Tuesday. Chinese nationals will...

Lao, Thai Authorities Arrest Malaysian Drug Dealer Hiding in Laos

Ong Gim Wah, a 39-year-old Malaysian national, was apprehended for drug-related crimes in Laos in a joint operation between Lao and Thai authorities on...

South Korean Opposition Leader is Stabbed in the Neck by a Knife-Wielding Man

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was stabbed in the neck by an unidentified knife-wielding man during a visit...

Furnace Explosion at Chinese-Owned Nickel Plant in Indonesia Kills at Least 13 and Injures 46 Others

PALU, Indonesia (AP) — A smelting furnace exploded Sunday at a Chinese-owned nickel plant on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, killing at least 13 workers and injuring dozens...

Vietnam Considers Importing Electricity From Laos to Tackle Power Shortage

In response to the persistent power shortages in Northern Vietnam, the Vietnam Electricity Group (EVN) has put forth a proposal to import wind power...