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...

Australian Journalist Says She Was Detained for 3 Years in China for Breaking Embargo

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australian journalist Cheng Lei says she spent more than three years in detention in China for breaking an embargo with...

China’s Xi Promises Open Markets and Billions in New Investments for ‘Belt and Road’ Projects

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping promised foreign companies greater access to China’s huge market and more than USD 100 billion in new...

Thai Retail Giant Sets Sights on Lao Visitors with New Investment Plans in Border Provinces

Thailand's largest shopping mall operator, Central Pattana Plc (CPN), plans to invest THB 3 billion (approximately USD 83 million) in the northeastern provinces of...

Thai and Filipino Workers Filling Labor Gap in Israel Get Caught up in War Between Israel and Hamas

BANGKOK (AP) — The first group of Thai workers evacuated from Israel after the past few days’ bloody events in southern Israel and Gaza arrived Thursday...

Lao Residents Continue Crossing to Thailand Amidst High Inflation

Residents in Laos are still seen actively traveling to neighboring Thailand despite high inflation and fluctuating foreign currency prices. Since the reopening of the Lao-Thai...

Freight Train Between Vientiane, Shanghai Officially Launched

A freight train service linking Vientiane Capital, Laos, and Shanghai, China, was officially launched on 8 October. This freight service which links the Laos-China Railway...