Xaysomphone Phomvihane, President of Laos’ National Assembly and one of the country’s most senior political figures, has died aged 69, officials announced on 8 August.
Lao authorities said Xaysomphone's body was taken to National Assembly Hall No. 6, where official funeral preparations are underway. According to state media, Laos will mourn his death from 9 to 13 August, and the final funeral ceremony will be held on 13 August
Born on 14 December 1956 in Houaphanh, Xaysomphone spent more than three decades moving through some of Laos’ most important political and government positions.
Politics was familiar territory for him from an early age.
His father, Kaysone Phomvihane, was one of the founding figures...
Authorities in Oudomxay Province, northern Laos, have announced plans to expand railway services and free up land for investment around the region's three Laos-China Railway stations.
The provincial government said...
On 31 July, the Bank of the Lao PDR (BoL) suspended applications for new non-bank financial institutions in Vientiane Capital.
Effective from the announcement date onwards, the suspension applies to...
The Lao state-owned Lao State Fuel Company (LSFC) reported a sharp rise in profits for 2025 and is restructuring to prepare for an eventual listing on the stock exchange,...
Naphao International Border Checkpoint in Khammouane Province collected more than LAK 669.5 billion (USD 29.6 million) in customs revenue in the first half of 2026, exceeding its full-year target...
Electricity prices jumped 91.5 percent in July compared to the same month last year, becoming one of the main factors behind a slight increase in Laos’ inflation rate, which...
Laos is exploring plans to turn state-owned fuel stations into electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging hubs as part of its push to expand charging infrastructure and reduce reliance on imported...
The body of Thai travel YouTuber Hlun Solo is expected to return to Thailand on 6 August, according to his family, as authorities continue to await the results of an autopsy and toxicology tests following his death in Georgia.
His brother, Somsak Butsri, who posts on Facebook under the name Klose Mos, said the body of Bowornthat Pengsuk, known online as Hlun Solo, would leave Georgia on 5 August and arrive in Thailand the following day after diplomatic and forensic procedures were completed.
In a statement issued on 4 August, the Royal Thai Embassy in Ankara said embassy officials, Thai volunteers in Georgia, and representatives from the transport company had inspected...
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...
Thailand has recorded 557,993 cumulative HIV cases, health authorities say, even as new infections have fallen by 12,000 over the past three years. Across the border in Laos, officials are tracking a similar pattern among young people, though on a smaller scale.
Thirteen of Thailand’s 77 provinces now record more than 10,000 cases each.
The Central region carries the heaviest burden, with Bangkok topping the list at 88,535 infections. Chonburi follows in second place with 31,072 cases, while Chiang Mai ranks...
While the FIFA World Cup dominates football headlines, a Lao youth footballers has returned from Europe with two international titles.
On 5 July, W.I.G NAGA's under-13 team successfully defended its IberCup title in Portugal,...
Vientiane's Chao Anouvong Stadium renovation has surpassed 70 percent completion and remains on schedule for handover in October 2026.
Shuji Hayashi, senior architect at Azusa Sekkei, the project's consulting firm, told the Laotian Times...
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...
