Lao migrant workers sent an estimated USD 500.7 million back to Laos during the first seven months of 2026, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
The ministry shared the figures during a labor migration meeting in Vientiane on 22 September. Employment Department Director General Anousone Khamsingsavath said large numbers of Lao workers continue to work abroad.
Authorities recorded 149,294 Lao workers abroad in 2025, while 112,436 were working overseas by September 2026.
The ministry is updating the Labour Law, Employment Law, and regulations covering Lao workers abroad to strengthen legal protections, improve recruitment, and support safer migration.
Push for Legal Migration
The government is also trying to reduce irregular migration.
In 2024,...
Lao migrant workers sent an estimated USD 500.7 million back to Laos during the first seven months of 2026, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare.
The ministry...
Vietnam has become Laos's second-largest foreign investor, with more than 400 projects worth a combined USD 8 billion approved, according to the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Vietnam ranks second...
Laos and China have launched a new digital payment link that allows Chinese visitors to pay Lao businesses using China’s digital yuan, without needing to exchange cash into Lao...
A 100-megawatt (MW) solar project in Bolikhamxay is moving ahead, with developers meeting local communities on 18 September to discuss the planned plant.
The project will cover 140.23 hectares in...
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,...
Vientiane is planning new tourism routes, evening attractions, and a city pass to encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more locally, while a new Lao Travel app will give tourists a way to book accommodation, transport, and other services.
The push comes as Vientiane’s tourism sector posted strong results in 2025.
The Tourism Development Department Vientiane Capital reported the city welcomed more than 2.2 million visitors last year, generating over USD 621 million in revenue and surpassing its targets of 2 million visitors and USD 600 million.
To sustain the growth, the authorities have organized new tourism routes around “Slow Tourism & Cultural Heritage.”Authorities have grouped four inner routes covering spiritual...
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...
