The Miss Universe Organization is facing a major dispute just weeks before its 75th anniversary pageant, with contestants from six Southeast Asian countries caught in the middle.
Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore could all be affected by a disagreement over who has the right to run their national Miss Universe competitions and send contestants to the international pageant.
The dispute involves JKN Universe LLC, which owns the Miss Universe brand, and Miss Universe Eastern, a regional group led by Thai pageant executive Nawat Itsaragrisil.
In a statement this week, JKN Universe LLC said Miss Universe Eastern did not have the authority to grant or manage national Miss Universe franchises. It...
Laos and Thailand are studying a possible new Friendship Bridge linking Vientiane Province with Loei Province. The proposed crossing is now in the feasibility and planning stage.
The bridge would...
African swine fever has spread across Laos, with 11,369 pigs dead or culled since the outbreak began in Xayabouly Province in June.
The virus has since reached Phongsaly, Houaphanh, Xaysomboun,...
Eight years after the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy hydropower dam in Attapeu collapsed, killing dozens and displacing thousands in southern Laos, affected families are set to receive the final round of...
On 11 September, Électricité du Laos (EDL) and Chinese energy company Shenzhen Yichu Smart Energy Group Co., Ltd. exchanged an agreement to study battery energy storage systems in Laos.
The...
A major bauxite project in southern Laos is moving closer to production, with Lao and Vietnamese officials now turning their attention to the environmental risks and community impacts of...
Passenger traffic on the China–Laos Railway has increased significantly this year, boosting tourism and cross-border economic links as Laos prepares to graduate from Least Developed Country status, the China...
Thailand has cut its visa-free tourist stay from 60 days back to 30 days, ending an expanded temporary scheme that had been in place since July 2024.
The change took effect on 15 September and affects travellers from dozens of countries, though Lao passport holders face a distinct set of rules, since Laos operates under its own bilateral visa exemption agreement with Thailand.
What Changed on 15 September
Thailand's old 60-day exemption covered 93 countries and territories, Laos included. That scheme has now been scrapped.
In its place, Thailand re-introduced the 30-day tourist exemption scheme. Thailand also added a 15-day exemption category for Seychelles and Mauritius, and trimmed the list of countries eligible...
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...
African swine fever has spread across Laos, with 11,369 pigs dead or culled since the outbreak began in Xayabouly Province in June.
The virus has since reached Phongsaly, Houaphanh, Xaysomboun, Luang Prabang and Vientiane Capital, prompting authorities to impose tighter controls on the movement of pigs and pork products.
Vehicles carrying pigs or pork products must undergo disinfection to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
People who violate the restrictions could face fines or legal action.
As of 15 September, African swine...
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,...
Laos continues working to develop chess among younger generations.
A group of young Lao players has returned from Singapore with 12 medals after gaining international experience against competitors from across Asia and beyond.
Team Laos...
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...
