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...

Thai Authorities Seize 50 Kg of Meth Packaged as Durian Paste from Laos 

Thai authorities seized 50 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine packaged as durian paste at the Third Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge on Tuesday. On 3 October, Thai authorities...

Teenage Boy Arrested After Deadly Shooting in Bangkok

Two people died and five were injured in a shooting on the afternoon of 3 October at Bangkok’s popular shopping mall Siam Paragon. The...

Vietnam Begins Construction on Power Line from Laos

The National Utility Vietnam Electricity (EVN) has broken ground on the construction of a power line to import electricity from Laos on 30 September,...

Indonesian President Launches Southeast Asia’s First High-Speed Railway, Funded by China

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian President Joko Widodo inaugurated Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway on Monday as it was set to begin commercial operations,...

Thailand Expects Over THB 140 Billion From Chinese Visitor Visa Waiver

The Thai government expects to attract over 2.9 million visitors from China as part of the five-month visa exemption period. The tourists will bring...

Laos is One of World’s Top 15 Countries Offering Cheapest Internet Prices

According to new research, Laos ranked 14th among countries offering the world's cheapest price per 1 GB of mobile data, the second Southeast Asian...