It is estimated that more than 100 million disposable plastic water bottles are consumed by travellers every year in Laos. Most of them are not recycled. In many areas of the country, where waste management systems are not available yet, people burn their waste. Open burning of plastic waste is a major source of air pollution and releases toxic gases that can cause serious health problems such as cancer, impotence and asthma.
The tourism industry in Luang Prabang is leading a campaign to reduce single-use plastic water bottles. Many hotels and tour operators, restaurant and cafes, museums and other businesses in the town center offer safe drinking water refill stations. Both visitors and residents can easily refill their bottles at their premises for free, or pay less than buying a new plastic water bottle. This campaign is led by the Department of Information, Culture and Tourism of Luang Prabang, Luang Prabang Travel Agents Association and Luang Prabang Hotels and Restaurants Association and is supported by Luang Prabang – Handle With Care Project which is co-funded by the European Union as part of the EU SWITCH ASIA II Programme and implemented by GIZ.
Moreover, a handful of businesses in Luang Prabang have initiated their own plastic bottle boycott with the Refill Not Landfill initiative. Their objective is simple: give tourists the opportunity to help eliminate plastic bottle waste in the UNESCO Heritage City.
“I asked a few businesses if they wanted to pool resources to buy non-plastic reusable bottles to do our bit in reducing plastic bottle waste in Luang Prabang, and also to help make guests aware,” said Paul Burnett, General Manager of the Sanakeo Boutique Hotel & Spa.
The Refill Not Landfill group purchased light gauge stainless steel bottles, which the individual businesses offer to their guests and customers.
Burnett said the Refill not Landfill initiative complements Luang Prabang’s ongoing reusable bottle efforts by targeting tourists.
“Tourists can refill their bottles at some 30 stations around the city,” he said, “And, they go home with a lovely souvenir of their time in Luang Prabang.”
The United Kingdom’s Heathfield International School has recently arrived, making Vientiane the home of its second branch in Asia (the first being in Bangkok), bringing new standards to Laos.
Champa Meuanglao Magazine, together with Lao Airlines, is calling on photographers of all backgrounds and experience levels to enter their best single images of their favorite place in Laos for a chance to win free flights with Lao Airlines.
In line with the Visit Laos Year 2018 initiative, Champa Meuanglao magazine has launched the My Favorite Place photo competition with the hope of inspiring local and foreign photographers, both amateur and professional, to visit the beautiful country of Laos and submit a photo of their favorite place.
Submissions are to be judged by a panel including professional photographers, members of the Champa Meuanglao editorial team, and representative of Lao Airlines.
Entries for the My Favorite Place photo competition are open from 1 April to 31 May, 2018.
Winning photographs will be displayed over a two-page spread titled “My Favorite Place” in upcoming issues of Champa Meuanglao magazine, the official inflight magazine of Lao Airlines, and an exhibition of winning entries will be held at Kualao Restaurant, in Vientiane Capital.
Prizes include flights to Hanoi, Chiang Mai, and Luang Prabang.
The government of Laos has announced that two extra days will be included as holidays in addition to the official three days of holidays for Lao New Year (Pi Mai) this year.
According to a notice issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, April 17 and 18 have been declared official public holidays in lieu of the two days of Pi Mai which fall on a weekend (April 14 and 15).
This means that the Lao New Year holiday will be celebrated over five days, from April 14 to April 18.
The announcement urged members of the public to ensure safe and modest new year celebrations, while preserving Lao customs and traditions.
It also called upon various ministries and government departments to ensure that sufficient food and other goods would be available to the public for consumption during this time. Prices are also to be strictly monitored, ensuring that merchants do not raise prices to take advantage of consumers during the holiday period.
Safety was also a prime concern in the announcement, which assigned the Ministry of INformation, Culture and Tourism to raise awareness of traffic regulations and road safety.
The Lao New Year, or Pi Mai Lao, is one of the most important festivals in the Lao calendar. It is a time for cleansing and renewal, and also for celebration and togetherness.
Along with the traditional ritual of visiting temples to pour fragrant water over Buddha statues, towns and cities across the country come alive with street parties and water celebrations.
Plans for a massive Chinese development project around the famed Khonephapheng waterfall in Champasack Province are moving forward, as talks between provincial authorities and a Chinese investment firm continue.
The results of a study on the potential of a Khonephapheng Special Economic Zone (SEZ), as it will be known, were presented to the Ministry of Planning and Investment in January this year. The company which undertook the study, Guandong Yellow River Industrial Group, has said it would invest US$ 10 billion into the project.
The company says they will construct hotels and restaurants, a shopping center, and other peripheral tourism businesses.
Another plan showed a building constructed to mimic a tip khao, or sticky rice container, which is another iconic piece of Lao cultural hertitage.
The project has been approved by provincial authorities, who are interested in the project, and who said they would allocate over 7,000 hectares of land for the company.
Local authorities believe the project will help to improve the livelihoods of local people, and would boost tourism in the region. Villagers displaced by the project would need to be relocated, however, and would be provided with new residences and employment, which could be provided by the project.
The first phase of the project, which would run from 2018 to 2025, would see installation of infrastructure including roads, water systems and drainage. The second phase would include an airport to facilitate the expected number of tourists and business people.
The findings of the study and the project proposal have yet to be presented to the National Assembly, who will have the final say on its approval.
The new modern commercial complex known as Thongkhankham Market in Vientiane has officially opened to the public since it had begun construction in 2015.
According to the recently published World Happiness Report, Laos ranks 110th out of 156 countries in happiness.
Finland takes the crown as the happiest country on the planet, with all the Nordic countries ranking among the 10 happiest nations in the world. On the flip side, Burundi is the unhappiest place on earth according to the report, with the 10 unhappiest nations in the world hailing from Africa (with the exception of Yemen).
In ASEAN, Singapore is the happiest country (34th rank). Malaysia came in close at 35th rank in the world followed not too far by Thailand (46). The Philippines makes 71st place, while Vietnam and Indonesia take 95th and 96th places, respectively. Cambodia comes out a bit unhappier than Laos at 120th place, whereas Myanmar is the unhappiest at 130th place. Brunei was oddly omitted from the report.
For many countries there is a quite significant correlation between the Human Development Index (HDI) and happiness, but not true for all. Whereas Singapore ranks 5th in the HDI one would assume that the country would rank higher than 34 when it comes to happiness; the opposite is true for the Philippines – in HDI they rank only 116 but when it comes to happiness they are ranked 71st. Therefore, there may be, in the end, a grain of truth in the Filipino tourism slogan “it’s more fun in the Philippines.”
From electro-folk to gritty blues, the live music scene in Bangkok is one of the best in South East Asia…with a song for everyone to sing.
Sawai Kaewsombat has his hands wrapped around his khaen – the tips of his fingers dancing over the bamboo pipes as his cheeks fill with air. The sound the 76-year-old makes on the traditional mouth organ is trance-like. It’s accompanied by the equally hypnotic plucking of the phin (Asian lute). It’s the kind of music that has been performed for centuries in the heart of Laos, but this evening it’s being played in a dimly lit bar full of 70s furniture in Bangkok. Before long, the traditional instruments are joined by modern bass, drums and percussion, leaving the audience of beat-loving expats and Gen Z Thais with no choice but to dance… welcome to Studio Lam…
STUDIO LAM
The Molam revival
STUDIO LAM
Back in 2009 DJs Maft Sai and Chris Menist decided they wanted to share their vintage collection of molam – a traditional style of music – with their friends. They had no idea that this desire would lead to a music revival and the birth of one of Thailand’s most successful music exports – The Paradise Bangkok Molam International Band – fronted by Kaewsombat on his khaen. The band has performed sell-out shows from Bucharest to Berlin and played festivals like Glastonbury in the UK. They’ve also given a new generation of Thais and foreigners a reason to fall in love with a style of music that was dying out the region.
These days, Studio Lam is known as one of the most inspiring live music venues in the Thai capital – where, on any given night of the week, you can hear DJs mixing the reggae beats of Kingston in Jamaica with the sounds of Korat in northeastern Thailand, the folk songs of Aceh in Indonesia with the rhythms of Accra in Ghana.
3/1 Sukhumvit 51, Klongton-Nua, Wattana
Still got the blues
Saxophone Pub
SAXOPHONE PUB
From beats to blues, the Saxophone Pub is a Bangkok institution that has been offering tourists and Thais quality live music since 1987. The stage is at the centre of this cosy pub, allowing the audience to sit in a semi-circle around the performers, creating an atmosphere of intimacy. With walls covered in music paraphernalia, a menu consisting of delicious western and Thai food, and world-class musicians on stage each night, it’s no wonder this bar, which is located near the Victory Monument, has reached legendary status. Some of Thailand’s most popular artists perform regularly at the establishment, including Koh Mr. Saxman, the ska-reggae outfit known as T-Bone Band and Bangkok’s version of B.B. King – Chai and The Blues Maniacs.
3/8 Phayathai Road, Victory Monument
Adhere The 13th Blues-Bar
ADHERE 13TH BLUES BAR
Across town, you’ll find the unusually named Adhere 13th Blues Bar – a hole-in-the-wall venue where you have to squeeze past the band to get to the bar. If you’re looking for a music experience that’s gritty and real, this is the place for you. With its honky-tonk vibe and friendly staff, Adhere is always packed with musicians and backpackers, as well as the sounds of Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Robert Johnson. Most nights end in a free-for-all jam, and on weekends the audience tends to be pushed out onto the street due to the popularity of the place, so be sure to go early if you want a seat!
13 Samsen Road, Bangkok
Rockin’ in the Free World
The Rock Pub
THE ROCK PUB
From thrash to black, funk to death, if you’re in need of a heavy metal hit while in the City of Angels, then be sure to stop by The Rock Pub, near Ratchathewi BTS Station. It’s quite possibly the loudest live music venue in the city. If you have a tattoo and like to wear black, you’ll fit in just fine. But it’s not all hardcore rock; the venue also hosts 80s and 90s themed nights, as well as tributes to popular bands like Nirvana.
93/26-28 Hollywood Street Building,Payathia Rd
THE HARD ROCK CAFÉ
Despite its name, the Hard Rock Café caters more for fans of soft rock. Here you can listen to Thai cover bands singing the songs of The Beatles and Elvis Presley whilst eating a big juicy burger with fries. If you’re a fan of this chain of restaurants, Bangkok’s Hard Rock Café won’t disappoint.
424/3-6 Siam Square SOI 11 Siam Square 7 Alley Pathum Wan
All that jazz
Brown Sugar
BROWN SUGAR
If Louis Armstrong was alive today and happened to be living in Bangkok, you’d find him tooting his trumpet at Brown Sugar. A larger-than-life portrait of the jazz great can be found on the walls of this much-loved club and his music is played there often – along with the works of Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock. From Tuesday to Sunday, you can enjoy some of the country’s coolest cats performing everything from experimental jazz to big-band standards. The venue is open as a restaurant and café during the day.
469 Phrasumen Road, Banglumpoo
THE BAMBOO BAR
For a more upmarket experience, there’s the Mandarin Oriental Hotel’s Bamboo Bar with its sophisticated dark wood, marble interiors and elegant mirrored ceiling. Here, international artists perform the songs of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday as members of Bangkok’s high society sip their cocktails.
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Oriental Ave, Khwaeng Bang Rak
