Vientiane Capital has fallen short of government goals to reduce school dropouts, with financial pressures and barriers to attendance keeping children out of classrooms, education authorities reported on 10 November.
The primary school dropout rate stood at 2.38 percent, compared with the government’s goal of keeping it below 0.4 percent. At lower secondary level, the rate reached 5.35 percent, against a goal of less than 4.5 percent.
Bouavone Souklaseang, head of the Vientiane Department of Education and Sports, said some outlying districts recorded considerably higher rates.
In Sangthong district, 12.35 percent of lower secondary students dropped out, alongside 2.70 percent of primary students and 9.94 percent of upper secondary students. In Pakngum...
Vientiane Capital has fallen short of government goals to reduce school dropouts, with financial pressures and barriers to attendance keeping children out of classrooms, education authorities reported on 10...
Vientiane Capital expects its economy to grow by 7.6 percent this year, falling short of its 8 percent target as handicraft production, mining, and tourism-related businesses face slower growth.
The...
Thailand is planning to extend work permits for more than 2.3 million migrant workers until February 2029, as it seeks to address labour shortages and retain workers from neighboring...
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,...
Thai Airways is investigating unauthorized access to passenger booking information held by its service provider Amadeus, with around 60,529 records potentially affected, the airline said on 9 November.
The airline will notify affected passengers individually after checking the information supplied by Amadeus. It has reported the incident to the relevant authorities, while its review of the affected records continues.
The information potentially accessed includes passenger names and booking references, alongside travel dates, routes, and cabin classes.
The airline also identified around 376 additional records that may contain more extensive personal details, including passport numbers, nationalities, phone numbers, email addresses, and frequent flyer membership numbers. Flight, ticket, and seat numbers may also be...
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...
Authorities in Oudomxay Province have investigated eight cases of illegal mining, prosecuted 10 people, and collected more than LAK 2.688 billion (USD 119,000) in fines and other payments to the state, according to a provincial report.
The cases involved illegal mineral extraction, including alluvial gold mining. Some operations used basic equipment, while others relied on heavy machinery.
Saksombat Keositthivongsa, head of the provincial task force, presented the findings on Oudomxay Radio and TV Station.
The latest case came to light on 28...
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,...
A gown combining Thai silk and Lao fabric brought two neighbouring countries' textile traditions together at an international fashion exhibition in Bangkok in October.
Titled Lao-Thai Solidarity, the dress featured traditional Lao weaving patterns alongside Thai silk, with each material making up half of the design.
Lao designer Khamphao Bouaphanh, founder of Khamphao Sungdai, created the gown for the Global Thai Silk Exhibition. It showcased how traditional textiles from both countries could be incorporated into contemporary fashion.
The design featured a Naga motif along the lower skirt, a Dao Kai Noy pattern on the bodice, and a sash made from Pakse Mudmee silk.
Weaving Two Textile Traditions Together
The dress combined 50 percent Thai silk with 50 percent locally woven Lao fabric. Rather than keeping the materials separate, the design brought them together through patterns and details associated with both countries.
The Naga motif, a recurring element in Lao art and textiles, ran along the lower panel of the skirt and wrapped around the back. The upper bodice featured the Dao Kai Noy pattern, translate to Little Chick Star, or the Pleiades in english. A sash made from Pakse Mudmee, a traditional Lao ikat silk,...
