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Wednesday, July 9, 2025
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Over 70 Million Meth Pills Seized in Bokeo Province in First Half of 2025

Since the beginning of 2025, Bokeo Province has emerged as a major front in Laos’s fight against narcotics, with authorities intercepting over 70 million methamphetamine pills and large quantities of other illegal substances. On 7 July, authorities in Bokeo Province seized a large shipment of illegal drugs from a vehicle suspected of trafficking. The haul included 1,920 kilograms of ketamine, nearly 2 million methamphetamine pills, 15 kilograms of ecstasy powder, and 51 kilograms of heroin. The driver was detained, and an investigation is ongoing to identify those involved. Just days earlier, on 3 July, police arrested two Lao men at the Namthoung checkpoint after discovering 554,000 meth pills hidden in a...

Economy

Laos to Upgrade National Road 13 in October 2025, Completion Expected by 2028

The Lao government will begin a major upgrade of a 50-kilometer stretch of National Road No. 13 South in October 2025 to boost freight capacity and regional connectivity, with...

Bokeo Sees Over USD 17 Million in Exports in First Half of 2025

Bokeo Province recorded an export value of USD 17.23 million in the first six months of 2025, marking steady growth in trade and industrial activities.  The figure was shared during...

Laos Urges STEM Focus Amid Growing Education Crisis

Over 6,000 Lao nationals graduated from overseas institutions between 2021 and 2024, according to the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) during its recent annual general meeting.  Among them, 2,271...

US Reduces Tariff on Lao Imports to 40 Percent, Pressure on Trade Remains

The United States has lowered its reciprocal tariff on Lao imports from 48 percent to 40 percent, following President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariff letters to 14 countries....

Vientiane’s Bus Rapid Transit Service Set to Begin Trial Operations by End of August

Vientiane’s BRT service is scheduled to begin trial operations free of charge for three months by the end of August, Mayor of Vientiane Capital Athsphangthong Siphandone announced during the...

Lao-China Railway to Pilot Automated Parking Fee System at Vientiane Station

The Lao-China Railway Company has announced plans to introduce an automated parking fee collection system at Vientiane Station as part of a pilot project scheduled to begin between August...

Travel

Vientiane’s Bus Rapid Transit Service Set to Begin Trial Operations by End of August

Vientiane’s BRT service is scheduled to begin trial operations free of charge for three months by the end of August, Mayor of Vientiane Capital Athsphangthong Siphandone announced during the 9th Ordinary Session of the Vientiane People’s Council’s second legislature on 7 June. The BRT project has made substantial progress, with construction of lanes and stations currently at 71.64 percent completion, according to Athsphangthong. Officials expect construction to reach 90 percent completion by the end of July, positioning the system to become fully operational by the end of 2025. The BRT system will feature 12-meter electric air-conditioned express buses with 40 seats each, operating on dedicated routes for faster and safer service....

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...

Vientiane Launches Sustainable Tourism Initiative with Innovative Technology for Growth

The Lao government has announced plans to boost tourism in Vientiane Capital with the theme "Vientiane's Sustainable Tourism," The initiative aims to incorporate innovative technologies into tourism management and create new attractions for...

Health & Environment

ASEAN, UK Launch Five-Year Health Security Partnership Program to Strengthen Regional Health Resilience

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Kingdom officially launched the ASEAN-UK Health Security Partnership Program (HSP), a landmark five-year initiative designed to enhance Southeast Asia’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to health threats. Funded by the UK, the HSP program will provide grant funding for projects across the ASEAN region aimed at improving health systems, expanding access to healthcare, and bolstering ASEAN’s ability to tackle emerging threats, including those posed by climate change.  The program will...

Sport

From Comeback to Glory: Lao Boxer Soukan Taypanyavong Claims International Title

As hundreds of voices erupted around the boxing ring, anticipation surged through the arena. It was the moment Soukan “Nong Oh” Taypanyavong had been training for, a battle that would decide whether years...

Lao Telecom Partners with JAS to Launch Premier League Package for 500,000 Lao Fans

Football fans in Laos now have a new reason to celebrate. Jasmine International Public Company Limited (JAS), the exclusive rights holder for the English Premier League (EPL) and FA Cup across Thailand, Cambodia,...

Politics

Lao Prime Minister Receives Japan’s Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun

The Japanese Emperor awarded Lao Prime Minister (PM) Sonexay Siphandone the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising...

Hun Sen Calls for Halt to Thai Imports and Film Screenings Amid Renewed Tensions

Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen has called for an immediate suspension of the import of key strategic goods from...

‘Looking to the Next 70 Years’: US and Laos Celebrate Enduring Friendship

On 2 July, the United States Embassy in Laos hosted an Independence Day celebration at Crowne Plaza in Vientiane...

Laos Showcases Tax Reform, Seeks Support on the International Stage

Laos outlined its progress in strengthening domestic resource mobilization and called for continued international support during the 4th International...

Feature

From Comeback to Glory: Lao Boxer Soukan Taypanyavong Claims International Title

As hundreds of voices erupted around the boxing ring, anticipation surged through the arena. It was the moment Soukan “Nong Oh” Taypanyavong had been training for, a battle that would decide whether years of sacrifice and sweat had truly paid off. On 23 June, the 34-year-old Lao fighter made a triumphant return to the spotlight, winning the championship at the International Martial Arts Cultural Exchange 2025 in Canada after three years away from the sport. Victory That Echoed Across Borders In the 62.5 kg weight category, Nong Oh faced off against Mexico’s Pedro Marroquin in a special round match. Despite his opponent's powerful punches, it was Soukan’s strategic use of knee strikes that gave him the edge. “He had strong punches, but I realized my knee strikes were more effective. That’s how I scored points,” he explained. Quoting Sun Tzu’s Art of War, he added, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” This victory, however, was more than just a personal milestone. It was a moment of national pride, one that sparked admiration from both foreign spectators and Lao communities in Canada. “Many people told...

Lao Prime Minister Receives Japan’s Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun

The Japanese Emperor awarded Lao Prime Minister (PM) Sonexay...

Hun Sen Calls for Halt to Thai Imports and Film Screenings Amid Renewed Tensions

Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen has called for an...

Laos Showcases Tax Reform, Seeks Support on the International Stage

Laos outlined its progress in strengthening domestic resource mobilization...

Kiwa PVEL Releases 11th Edition of the PV Module Reliability Scorecard

The total number of Top Performers remains steady, but...

AXA Launches “Max Goal II Insurance Plan”

Shortest guaranteed breakeven timeframe and market-first Wealth Master Service to...