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...

High-Speed Rail Linking Nong Khai, Vientiane Expected to Complete in 2028

The Nong Khai-Vientiane stretch of the Thai-China high-speed rail (HSR) project is anticipated to conclude construction in 2028, revealed Thai Deputy Transport Minister Surapong...

Newly Elected Thai Lawmaker Sentenced to 6 Years for Defaming Monarchy

BANGKOK (AP) — A court in Thailand convicted and sentenced a recently elected lawmaker Wednesday to six years in prison for defaming the monarchy under a...

Thai Police Seize Record Haul of 50 Million Methamphetamine Tablets Near Border With Myanmar

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police have seized what is being called a record haul of methamphetamine tablets in the western province of Kanchanaburi, close to the...

ASEAN-Israel Dialogue Gains Momentum Amidst Critical Geopolitical Dynamics

As Laos gears up to take the helm of the ASEAN chairmanship in 2024, eyes turn to the potential impact on regional and global...

Myanmar Takes Lead as Largest Opium Source, Laos Defies Trend

Opium cultivation in the Golden Triangle has experienced a notable expansion over the past year, with Myanmar witnessing the most substantial increase due to...

Thai Airport Opens Automated Gates for Foreign Visitors, Streamlines Departure Process

Foreign visitors will have access to the automatic departure passport control lane at Suvarnabhumi Immigration Inspections, Bangkok, Thailand, from 15 December. Initially launched in 2012...