Village authorities along the Nam Vaen and Nam Xam rivers have told residents to stop using river water after two rare earth mining ponds in Houaphanh burst on 1 November and released chemical wastewater into the Nam Vaen River.
According to the 3-November notice, residents of Meuangvaen, Nakao, and Nakhoun villages must suspend all water use until officials finish inspections and issue further notices.
As of 4 November, provincial authorities and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce had not identified the chemicals released or explained why the ponds in Thabpheung village burst.
The Nam Vaen flows through Thabpheung village before joining the Nam Xam River. The Nam Xam continues east across the...
In many Lao communities, temples are among the cleanest places around. People sweep the grounds, tend to the gardens, and take care of the buildings. There is a shared...
Laos has received a credit rating upgrade after issuing a USD 500 million international bond and signing a tax agreement with Hong Kong aimed at reducing costs for cross-border...
Laos is eyeing a major expansion of its clean energy exports following a proposed agreement to supply up to 500 megawatts (MW) of renewable electricity to Singapore.
On 30 October,...
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has ordered trade offices nationwide to stop imposing measures that restrict business competition or obstruct the movement of goods.
Issued on 28 October, the...
Laos’ inflation edged down to 7.7 percent in October from 7.8 percent in September, but households continue to face higher electricity bills and other everyday expenses.
Prices rose 0.9 percent...
Laos will suspend access to South Korea’s seasonal work program for 3 years if the nationwide overstay rate reaches 70 percent, under new rules introduced as the country expands...
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 counted 313,766 Lao citizens living abroad, as the country faces slowing population growth and labour shortages.
Chinese nationals accounted for much of the increase in the foreign population. Their numbers rose from 1,825 in 2005 to 13,400 in 2015 and 25,492 in 2025. Vietnamese nationals remained the largest foreign group, with 28,269 residents in 2025.
Thousands of Lao Citizens Seek Work Abroad
The...
Laos expects to welcome between 5 and 6 million international tourists in 2026, with Chinese visitors projected to account for around 2 million of that total, according to government estimates.
The numbers will be...
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...
Village authorities along the Nam Vaen and Nam Xam rivers have told residents to stop using river water after two rare earth mining ponds in Houaphanh burst on 1 November and released chemical wastewater into the Nam Vaen River.
According to the 3-November notice, residents of Meuangvaen, Nakao, and Nakhoun villages must suspend all water use until officials finish inspections and issue further notices.
As of 4 November, provincial authorities and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce had not identified the...
Salavan United Football Club, based in Salavan in southern Laos, has terminated the contract of Lao national team winger Soukphachan Lueanthala amid match-fixing allegations, citing his “unexcused absences” from training.
The club announced the...
Laos is preparing to compete in 12 sports at the 14th ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur next October.
The Lao team has proposed entering athletics, swimming, powerlifting, boccia, women’s goalball, men’s blind football,...
In many Lao communities, temples are among the cleanest places around. People sweep the grounds, tend to the gardens, and take care of the buildings. There is a shared understanding that these places are sacred, belong to everyone, and that caring for them is a collective responsibility.
But why doesn't the same care always extend to the streets and public spaces outside?
This is one of the questions that get to the heart of an idea explored by Lao scholar Dr. Anoulak Kittikhoun in his new book, A Great Country Is What Leaders Make of It.
"I like the word 'great' because I want to correct the often misusage by the big powers, mostly about their size, grand history or civilization, and wealth," he said. "When you have discussions with people about what's great about their country or other countries, it's never about those things."
After visiting around 40 countries and reading extensively about their histories and development, Anoulak has identified five things he believes matter to people, their economies, and how their countries are seen by the rest of the world.
These form the five rules at the heart of his book, which...
