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Friday, October 17, 2025
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Laos Offers Incentives, Scholarships to Strengthen Education in Remote Areas

Laos is introducing new incentives and scholarships to improve education in rural areas, linking teaching with military service to address ongoing teacher shortages.  The government’s latest plan provides a comprehensive package of salary increases, teaching allowances, and bonuses designed specifically for rural volunteer teachers who will become military officers, as well as for current military personnel who volunteer to teach in local schools. Under the program, both groups will receive professional teaching allowances, remote-area bonuses, and access to promotion opportunities and ongoing professional development.  Military officers who take on teaching duties will earn 70 percent more than their base salary during their assignments, while rural volunteer teachers joining the military will receive...

Economy

Laos Offers Incentives, Scholarships to Strengthen Education in Remote Areas

Laos is introducing new incentives and scholarships to improve education in rural areas, linking teaching with military service to address ongoing teacher shortages.  The government’s latest plan provides a comprehensive...

Work to Start on Vientiane-Hanoi Expressway Section Two, Completion Expected by 2030

Construction of Section 2 of the Vientiane-Hanoi expressway, which will connect Paksan district to the Laos-Vietnam border in Xaychamphone district, Bolikhamxay, is set to begin immediately. On 13 October, the...

Laos Targets 90 percent Urban Water Access by 2030

Following the recent announcement of major transport and city infrastructure projects, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) is now turning its focus to urban water access, positioning...

Luang Namtha Sees Nine Percent Growth in Tourist Arrivals in First Nine Months of 2025

Laos’ northern Luang Namtha Province recorded a steady increase in tourism in 2025, welcoming 985,322 visitors from January to September, a 9 percent rise compared to the same period...

Lao Authorities Confirm International Economic Growth Forecasts in Newly Released Outlook

Lao officials have formally confirmed earlier international projections for the country's economic performance, forecasting GDP growth of around 4.0 percent by year-end.  The figures, published in the third-quarter “Lao PDR...

Lao President Calls for New Generation of Lao Diplomats on 80th Diplomacy Day

Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith has called for the rise of a new generation of Lao diplomats, urging them to become strategic and trusted advisers to the Lao People’s Revolutionary...

Travel

Luang Namtha Sees Nine Percent Growth in Tourist Arrivals in First Nine Months of 2025

Laos’ northern Luang Namtha Province recorded a steady increase in tourism in 2025, welcoming 985,322 visitors from January to September, a 9 percent rise compared to the same period last year. According to the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the growth is attributed to effective promotional campaigns and cultural activities under the Visit Laos Year 2024 initiative, along with ongoing local festivals in 2025 such as the Akha Swing Festival, Hmong New Year, Rocket Festival, and Boat Racing Festivals in Nalae and Viengphoukha districts. These events have drawn both domestic and international tourists, generating over USD 30.7 million in tourism revenue. A key highlight this year was the Forest Trekking and...

ASEAN Rail Tourism Corridor Takes Center Stage at Mekong Tourism Forum 2025

Laos hosted the Mekong Tourism Forum 2025 in Luang Prabang from 24 to 27 June, spotlighting the proposed ASEAN Rail Tourism Corridor (ARTC) as a key initiative to boost regional travel and connectivity. Held...

New Eco-Tourism Project Aims to Protect Wildlife, Boost Jobs in Luang Namtha

Luang Namtha Province is set to transform Xang Boten village into a conservation-focused tourist destination through the newly launched Xang Boten Tourism Project, a joint initiative between the Lao government and a Chinese...

Health & Environment

Laos Targets 90 percent Urban Water Access by 2030

Following the recent announcement of major transport and city infrastructure projects, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT) is now turning its focus to urban water access, positioning it as a cornerstone of sustainable development. Urban Water Access Expansion The 2026–2030 Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Development Plan aims to provide 90 percent of residents in provincial and district municipalities with safe, piped water. At the same time, it strengthens wastewater management, climate resilience, and overall urban livability. On 15 October,...

Sport

SEA Games Mascot Redesign Sparks Debate Over National Identity

The redesign of the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 2025 mascot has stirred debate in Thailand, as organizers replaced the original seven colorful characters with two new figures featuring the colors of the...

Thailand Cleared to Host Petanque at SEA Games After World Federation Reversal

Thailand will host the pétanque competition at the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games this December, following a reversal by the World Pétanque and Bowls Federation (WPBF) of an earlier suspension over regulatory violations. As...

Politics

Laos Signs Agreement to Build Longest Highway Connecting Laos, Vietnam

The Lao government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Phongsavanh Group Co., Ltd. to develop the country’s...

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul Arrives in Laos for 75th Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties

On 16 October, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrived in Laos for an official visit, marking his first bilateral...

Laos’ First Consultancy Leads ASEAN Diplomacy Program Engages 19 Nations

A youth-led Lao consultancy has made history as the first Lao team to lead a major regional diplomacy program.   The...

Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia Strengthen Defense Ties Amid Trilateral Military Exercise

On 14 October, Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence, General Phan Van Giang, held high-level meetings in Laos with President...

Feature

Laos Wins Best National Costume at Mister Global 2025 with Mani Khot Tree-Inspired Design

The ancient Mani Khot tree, a sacred symbol rooted in Champasack Province, southern Laos, has taken the global spotlight, inspiring the Best National Costume award at Mister Global 2025 in Thailand and earning Laos a place of pride on the international stage. Representing Laos, Youphalayth ‘Bobbie’ Phethany, Mister Global Lao 2025, brought home the award with the costume titled “The Guardian Angel of the Mani Khot Tree.” The sacred Mani Khot Tree of Champasak, Laos, is revered in legend as the Tree of Destiny.  Believed to possess magical powers, the tree is said to bring prosperity in the direction its branches point.  While Bobbie did not design the costume himself, he played a central role in developing the idea and overall concept. Deeply connected to his Champasack roots, he wanted to wear something that would stand out and reflect Laos’ rich culture and mythology. The ancient Mani Khot tree, known in Lao legend as the Tree of Destiny, became the core inspiration. “I’ve spent two weeks thinking about the concept, but I couldn’t think of anything until one night I dreamed of Khon Phapheng Waterfall, where the tree is located,” Bobbie said. That dream sparked...

Laos Signs Agreement to Build Longest Highway Connecting Laos, Vietnam

The Lao government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding...

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul Arrives in Laos for 75th Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties

On 16 October, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrived...

Laos’ First Consultancy Leads ASEAN Diplomacy Program Engages 19 Nations

A youth-led Lao consultancy has made history as the...

Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia Strengthen Defense Ties Amid Trilateral Military Exercise

On 14 October, Vietnam’s Minister of National Defence, General...

Lao Delegation Joins North Korea’s Grand Celebrations Following Historic State Visit

A high-level delegation from Laos participated in the Democratic...