The Bank of Laos (BOL) has cut its seven-day base interest rate from 8 percent to 7 percent a year as inflation remains below the government’s 8 percent target.
The Monetary Policy Committee approved the cut at its meeting on 20 August, where it reviewed monetary policy, economic conditions, fuel prices, exchange rates and financial stability.
According to BOL, the latest decision shows continued monetary stability, with inflation remaining close to the government’s target, while the exchange rate and money supply remained within planned levels.
Inflation fell from 10.2 percent in April to 7.4 percent in June as lower fuel and transport costs and a more stable exchange rate eased pressure on...
The Bank of Laos (BOL) has cut its seven-day base interest rate from 8 percent to 7 percent a year as inflation remains below the government’s 8 percent target.
The...
Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has called for stronger management of the Boten Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Luang Namtha as Laos seeks to expand the border area as a...
Trade along the Laos-China Railway continued to grow sharply in the first half of 2026, with imports and exports reaching CYN 17.17 billion (USD 2.53 billion), up 33.8 percent...
Laos has completed field surveys and identified two major potential rare earth target areas spanning four provinces, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) reported.
The two zones are the...
On 13 August, Laos agreed to study the development of a new industrial park in Vientiane, with the proposed project expected to attract around USD 1 billion in investment.
The...
Laos’ international border checkpoints collected strong state budget revenue in the first half of 2026, with several crossings beating their targets by wide margins.
Leading the way is the Vangtao...
Laos welcomed 23,133 Japanese tourists in the first six months of 2026, a 36 percent jump from the same period last year, as the country ramps up tourism promotion in Japan.
The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism reported that Japanese arrivals have climbed steadily since 2022, rising from 6,848 that year to 24,824 in 2023, 28,966 in 2024, and 33,743 in 2025.
Manisakhone Thammavongxay, the ministry’s Director General of the Tourism Marketing and Promotion Department, credited the surge to sustained promotional work, embassy outreach, and Laos’ participation in World Expo 2025 in Osaka.
She also pointed to Princess Aiko’s five-day visit in late November 2025 as a key driver, her first...
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 welcomed nearly 3.8 million international tourists in the first ten months of 2025, a 13 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024.
In figures released on 7 December, the Tourism Development...
The Ministry of Health has ordered unlicensed medical and beauty facilities across Laos to obtain official permits by 30 November, but the directive has raised questions over its delayed public release and how authorities will enforce the deadline.
The Ministry issued the directive on 29 May but did not publicize it until 17 August, nearly three months later.
The notice targets a broad range of unlicensed facilities, including medical and dental clinics, plastic surgery centers, beauty centers and stem cell facilities....
The Lao Football Federation (LFF) has reported suspected match-fixing by national team players to police, following the team’s four straight losses at the ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026.
The letter, dated 7 August, said the...
Seven-year-old Bounthiengtham “Jayson” Sengphachan has already done something no Lao chess player his age has done before.
The young player from Vientiane Chess Academy recently became the youngest Lao player to receive an official...
Cats spend much of their day sleeping, stretching in the sun, at times hunting, or just watching the world go by. For a group of Lao artists, those habits have become the inspiration for art.
Life feels busier than ever, and Laos is no exception. Seven artists in Laos have turned to cats to explore what many people seem to be searching for today: a little more freedom, self-acceptance and joy in the ordinary moments of everyday life.
Their exhibition, Like a Cat's Tiny Life, running until 31 July at The Tamper Coffee & Studio in Vientiane, brings together paintings, illustrations and photography that ask a simple question: what can people learn from slowing down?
Why Cats?
“All seven of us wanted to create a small space filled with warmth through stories about cats. We wanted people to experience life through the artists’ small perspectives on cats,” artist Fanta Keomanila told The Laotian Times.
For him, cats represent independence.
He described them as animals that follow their own way, sleeping and resting when they choose and finding happiness in simple moments such as watching birds or lying in the warm sun, rather than conforming to...
