Home Blog Page 6288

Typhoon Mangkhut Skirts Laos Following Phils, HK, China Landfalls

By
-
Typhoon Mangkhut via Goole Maps
Typhoon Mangkhut skirts Laos on track to China's South-West.

Typhoon Mangkhut is on track to miss Laos after tracking data Monday morning had the destructive storm headed roughly West-North-West from Hong Kong towards South-West China.

Nonetheless, residents and visitors to northern and central regions of Laos should remain on alert for heavy downpours on Monday and Tuesday according to the Lao Meteorology and Hydrology Department.

With the storm proceeding over China’s Yunnan province, the result of heavy rainfall in the Mekong-Lancang catchment could cause water levels to rise downstream.

It comes after the severe storm system impacted parts of The Philippines, as well as Hong Kong SAR and the mainland of China with ferocious winds and storm surges seen late last week and over the weekend, leading to loss of life and property that is still being estimated.

According to the Hong Kong Meteorological Observatory, Typhoon Mangkhut will move across the inland area of southern China and weaken gradually today and tomorrow.

Follow the storm’s progress via Google at https://google.org/crisismap/google.com/2018-mangkhut

More information at World Meterological Organization (WMO).

Boy Wonder: Paris’ Prestigious ESMOD Fashion School Awaits Lao Young Design Wunderkind

By
-
Lao Fashion Week 2018
Paris’ Prestigious ESMOD Fashion School Awaits Lao Young Design Wunderkind

Fashion wunderkind Nanthaveth Buppha, known to friends and family by the nickname “Boy”, is getting set for Paris after taking top spot as Lao Young Designer 2018.

The Laotian Times was at Crowne Plaza Vientiane as the young fashionista took out the top spot among the five design aspirants awarded by the Lao Young Designers Project, an initiative of Lao Fashion Week.

The young designer is set to spend six months learning the trade at Paris ESMOD.

Runners-up were not left out. Singapore’s Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts will welcome first runner-up Mr Daovanh Inthavong for six months.

Mr Visaphon Keovilay (aka Candy) is set to spend an year studying at the London College of Design and Fashion’s Hanoi campus.

A 2-month course at Manila’s Fashion Institute of Phlippines followed by 2 months interning with designers awaits Ms Chindasanga Vongsouly.

Thai designers Pitnapat and Eaggamon in Bangkok will play host to two months of training for Mr Kee Phearkhamngon.

More images at Laos Briefly.

Foreigners Married to Lao Citizens Now Entitled to Spouse Visa

By
Laotian Times
-
Foreigner Spouse Marriage Visa

The Government of Laos will now be issuing foreign spouse visas to foreigners who hold a valid Lao certificate of marriage with a Lao citizen.

Until now, the foreign spouses of Lao citizens received no special privileges or entitlements after completing the lengthy marriage process. Those who held a valid Lao certificate of marriage could remain in Laos by way of a business visa, investment visa, or tourist visa only.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced a new type of visa, the SP-B3, would be issued from 1 August 2018. After this policy change, the government has quietly begun issuing a new type of visa upon request to those holding a licensed and registered marriage certificate.

 

RDK Group
RDK Group can now assist with your application for a SP-B3 Spouse Visa!

 

 
The Application Process

The application process for this visa contains a number of steps but is not overly complicated. This is divided into three parts.

Part 1:  Spouse Visa

Documents Required:

  1. A copy of the marriage certificate (1 copy)
  2. Letter of Proposal – can be obtained at the Consular Office, MOFA (1 copy)
  3. A copy of the family book or ID card of the Lao citizen (1 copy)
  4. A certificate of residence signed and sealed by the village authorities (1 copy)
  5. A copy of the passport of the foreign spouse (1 copy)

 

Procedures:

The documents listed above must be brought to the Consular Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), where officers will issue visa authorization. The authorization document must be brought to the border checkpoint specified in the letter of proposal (listed above). The fee for this is 30 USD.

 

Part 2: Stay Permit

 The documents required are:

 Documents Required:

  1. Letter of Proposal or Request to Register for a Stay Permit (the MOFA consular office will assist with this).
  2. Certificate of Residence signed and sealed by the village authorities (1 copy).
  3. A copy of the family book or ID card of the Lao citizen (1 copy).
  4. A copy of the passport of the foreign spouse (1 copy)
  5. A copy of the spouse visa (SP-B3) (1 copy)
  6. A copy of the Certificate of Marriage (1 copy)
  7. Passport photos at 3×4 size (3 photos)

 

Procedures:

The documents listed above must be brought to the Office of Foreigner Administration for processing.  The fee for the Stay Permit is 1,320,000 kip. 

 

Part 3: 1 Year Visa

After the officials have issued the Stay Permit, it will be necessary to have the visa converted to a 1 year visa.

The documents required are:

Documents Required:

  1. A copy of the marriage certificate (1 copy)
  2. A letter of proposal (1 copy)
  3. A copy of the family book or ID card of the Lao citizen (1 copy).
  4. Certificate of Residence signed and sealed by the village authorities (1 copy).
  5. A copy of the passport of the foreign spouse (1 copy)

 

Procedures:
The documents listed above must be brought to the Consular Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs for processing. The fee for this is 1,320,000 kip.

 

Working Under a Spouse Visa

Those holding a spouse visa are entitled to work in the Lao PDR, and the application process is similar to that of an LA-B2 visa.  A company must sponsor an individual residing in Laos under the spouse (SP-B3) visa, in which case the Ministry of Labor will issue a work permit.

 

Foreign Marriage Certificates

The spouse visa is also available to spouses of Lao citizens who have registered their marriage overseas. In order to apply, the foreign marriage certificate must be authorized at the Treaties and Law Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

 This article supplied by RDK GROUP.

 

RDK Visa Service

Laos’ PM Thongloun Confirms Hydropower Policy at WEF on ASEAN

By
Laotian Times
-
PM Confirms Laos Hydropower Policy
Laos' PM Thongloun joined by officials, delegates from Laos at World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Hanoi on September 12.

International experts continue investigative efforts alongside Lao regulators looking into the causes of the fatal Xe Pian Xe Nam Noy dam collapse in Attapeu province on July 23, Laos’ PM Thongloun on Wednesday confirmed to an audience of delegates from the ASEAN region and beyond in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi.

PM Thongloun’s response came in following the session moderator’s question on the topic at the World Economic Forum on ASEAN being held from September 11-13.

Speaking from a panel of Mekong government leaders including those from Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam on topics including the 4th Industrial Revolution, the Prime Minister told the audience that the investigation was part of the ongoing response to the collapse and flash flood effects in Sanamxay District, Attapeu Province.

“At Xe Namnoy XePian hydro dam, that we are talking about in Attapeu province, this has not been completed and not exporting electricity yet,” Dr Thongloun said, speaking with the benefit of simultaneous interpretation from Lao to English.

“We have also invited experts to investigate the reason behind the collapse of the saddle dam.  After the incident in July, we have announced the suspension of new hydropower projects (and) we are also inspecting those projects under construction.”

While Prime Minister Thongloun reiterated his dismissal of the widely used “Battery of ASEAN” moniker as an overstatement of Laos potential, he said hydroelectric power generation and transmission capacity development for domestic and export use was still very significant to the nation’s present and future fortunes nonetheless.

“Laos cannot become a “battery of Asia” because our capacity to develop electricity in Laos, compared to the demand of ASEAN neighboring countries, is still very limited,” Dr Thongloun told the audience at the panel discussion.

“But Laos has the capacity to leverage this potential in terms of water resources in Laos. We can produce electricity that is sufficient for Laos and that can be exported to our neighbouring countries.”

As such, looking forward, the PM said the country needed to refocus efforts on the questions of better regulating the planning, design and implementation of hydropower with partners to ensure safety and favourable socio-economic outcomes.

“In terms of electricity development, we have this commitment to make sure that from now on development of hydropower projects should be based on careful planning and good design,” the PM said.

“In terms of project development especially mega projects, we have to involve regional and international stakeholders to join us in the study of project feasibility, such as under the MRC framework.”

“We have to ensure socio-economic aspects and the impact of the project potentials on society. However, building hydropower projects is a good way to generate income and renewable, clean energy.”

He highlighted the case of the World Bank-supported Nam Theun 2, located in Kammouan province, as a good example of best practice.

“We have good model projects such as Nam Theun 2 hydropower project. Nam Theun 2 was a project that started many years ago with many parties such as WB and other financiers and it has made great achievements. We have learned a lot from this project and also the incident in the Xe Pian/Xe Nam Noy hydropower project.

“The incident in July is something we will continue to take into account in terms of moving forward. Laos will continue to study other options for renewable and clean energy such as solar panels and wind turbines as sources of electricity production.”

South Koreans Latest To Get 30 days Visa-Free Travel in Laos

By
-
Korean visitors at one of Laos' many spectacular waterfalls.

South Korean visitors, backpackers, business travellers, package tourists, honeymooners and independent adventurers alike can now stay in Laos for up to 30 days without a visa. Could your country be next?

Coming into force September 1, the extension was announced on Thursday, August 30 by the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The Government of Laos had agreed to grant the extension under the existing unilateral visa exemption agreement.

The extension to 30 days for more visitors is seen as a way to boost the tourism industry and fortunes of local communities and attractions countrywide in the current Visit Laos Year 2018 and beyond.

As Laotian Times has reported, South Korean visitors have proven to be a key market in Laos, with some 170,000 visitor arrivals in 2017.

Social media’s Instagram is increasingly populated with young fashionable Koren’s posts with the hashtag #라오스 (#Laos in Korea’s Hangul Script) numbering more than 270,000 posts to date.

A majority of Korean visitors continue to travel the well-honed Vientiane- Vang Vieng – Luang Prabang route, either in tour groups or as independent travellers.

The extension of visa-free status to 30 days duration is expected to permit more travellers from the Korean peninsula to spend more of their valuable time, won and kip in a broader range of tourism offerings across the culturally and bio-diverse, landlocked yet increasingly “land-linked” country, located at the heart of the Mekong sub-region

The move comes as Laos seeks to broaden the range of offerings and experiences available to visitors to the country including those making return visits.

The prospect of wealthy independent travellers with time to explore the country and spread the economic benefits widely is an attraction for tourism policymakers and businesses alike.

Some industry observers increasingly see 15-day limits as an unwelcome and unnecessary restriction to those visitors wishing to spend more time in the country or travel to the more rural or remote areas of Laos.

Lao tourist visas generally grant permission to the holder to spend 30 days consecutively in the country.

South Koreans now join travellers from most ASEAN nations as well as Mongolia with 30 days to spend in Laos sans visa. 

Travellers hailing from ASEAN’s Myanmar and Brunei can go visa-free in Laos for a fortnight while visitors from Japan, Russia, Switzerland and Luxembourg are able to enjoy visa-free in-country travel for 15 days.

Photo: K-Plus Entertainment

 

Luang Prabang Plays Host to Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo

By
-

Saving money or saving the planet? Either way, travel lovers, tourism industry professionals, and their suppliers will have more reasons to be in Luang Prabang from September 14-15.

Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo will bring together hospitality businesses and vendors of sustainable products, technology, and services to descend on the UNESCO World Heritage-Listed town.

Billed as the first event of its kind in the region, the Sustainable Tourism Solutions Expo offers an opportunity for local businesses to learn about and purchase sustainable alternatives to traditional tourism and hospitality supplies, such as environmentally-friendly cleaning products and toiletries, plastic-free packaging, locally produced substitutes to imported food and beverages, and handmade gifts and decor.

The Expo is set to support the local hospitality and tourism sector by helping to create a tourism business environment that is more sustainable, cost-efficient and on top of today’s global market developments.

In addition to the opportunity to learn about sustainable solutions from exhibitors, there will be a range of interesting symposia to join on practical topics ranging from how businesses can better communicate sustainability efforts to how eco-friendly solutions can save money as well as the planet.

Sanamxay District Students Set for September School Return

By
Laotian Times
-
unicef sanamxay children school

Students at schools across Laos have been heading back to hit the books, but those young scholars in Attapeu’s Sanamxay district are facing more hurdles than most in returning to regular educational routines.

Education was one of the sectors impacted by flash floods caused by the collapse of Xe Pian Xe Namnoy’s Saddle Dam D that severely damaged school buildings along with dwellings and other public and private community infrastructure on July 23 amid heavy rains from Storm Sonh Tinh that caused flooding across 10 provinces.

Sanamxay district’s students in higher grades are now headed back to school with the remainder of lower grade students to do so by the end of this month, an informal audience in the capital heard.

An informal update on UNICEF’s response in support of the Lao Ministry of Education and Sports in Sanamxay flood disaster relief efforts was offered by Deputy Representative of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef Laos) Dr. Myo-Zin Nyunt to an interested audience at an event held at CBD venue Earth-Vientiane.

He said Unicef Laos has been working to improve the precarious situation of women and children in all shelters, focusing on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), health, nutrition, education, and child protection.

Unicef at Earth Talks
Deputy Representative of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef Laos) Dr. Myo-Zin Nyunt

Having returned to the capital from his second and most recent visit to the affected areas Tuesday joining the Minister of Education and Sports, the Deputy Representative said rains and the nature of the terrain and transport logistics continue to hamper land transport and access to relief camps in Attapeu’s Sanamxay district set up in the aftermath of the devastating flash floods.

“It’s really heartwarming to see children go back to school. It’s important that children, as soon as they can, get back to routines and normal, so they can really overcome psychological trauma and stress from this very unfortunate incident,” Dr. Myo-Zin Nyunt told the gathering.

“As you know many schools have been destroyed, many students are in camps where displaced people are many teachers also victims of this. Yet what I see is the people in solidarity with the ppl of Sananmxay, trying to help and support and bring back the community as much as and as soon as possible“.

“There is a strong commitment from ministry and minister that all schools, regardless of how much they were damaged, are to open by or at latest end of September”

The update comes as a rainy season of heavy downpours results in flooding at multiple locations across the country, testing local, provincial and national capabilities as well as stretching public finances.

Flash floods destroyed homes, schools, and critical infrastructure in Attapeu Province following the collapse of Saddle Dam D on 23 July 2018. Approximately 13,000 people have been affected, with over 4,000 evacuated to emergency shelters, according to the United Nations (United Nations in Lao PDR) figures.

Dr. Myo-Zin Nyunt’s talk at Earth-Vientiane may be viewed in two parts via https://www.facebook.com/uniceflaos/

Champs in Japan See Paralifters Pushed to New Limits

By
-

Japan has been back in the news this week with furious winds and thundering shakes claiming a tragic toll in lives and property.

At the same time, a power of a different and more positive kind has been felt in the nation’s south.

Lao Paralympic weightlifters have been in Japan’s Oita prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu to compete at the Kitakyushu 2018 World Para-Powerlifting Asia Oceania Open Championship, which will be held from September 8th.

Continue
1...6,2876,2886,289...6,551Page 6,288 of 6,551