‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative underway, but experts warn of difficulties ahead
China’s “One belt, One Road” railway link with Asean has started to materialise as construction in Laos has progressed to more than 10 per cent of the project linking China’s border to Vientiane.However, one expert has warned that the Chinese government’s financial support for the ...
Atul Aneja
Charter flights set to bolster tourism between Hangzhou, Vientiane
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The start of charter flights between Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, China, and Vientiane is expected to spark greater cooperation in tourism, trading and investment between Laos and China.A ceremony to inaugurate the new flight took place last week in Hangzhou.More ...
Deadline extended for migrants
The Labour Ministry announced on Friday that the Thai government agreed to extend the deadline for Cambodian officials to complete registration and work permit delivery to Cambodian migrant workers by six months.[]It is estimated about one million workers are still waiting for verification, among them ...
Mom Kunthear
11th Lower Mekong Initiative and Friends of Lower Mekong Region Working Group Meeting begins
The 11th Lower Mekong Initiative and Friends of Lower Mekong Region Working Group Meeting, jointly organised by Myanmar and the United States, commenced at M Gallery Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw on May 3. The two-day meeting is being attended by delegates from Myanmar, the US, ...
Consultation with Developers on Review and Update of the Design Guidance for Proposed Mainstream (and Tributary)
MRCS is arranging a Consultation with Developers on Review and Update of the Design Guidance for Proposed Mainstream (and Tributary) on January 25, 2018 at the Office of the Mekong River Commission Secretariat in Vientiane, Lao PDR.For more details, please visit here ...
Mekong River Commission
Covid Insurance Now Mandatory for Foreign Workers in Laos
A new regulation issued by the Ministry of Public Security sees all foreign workers entering Laos required to purchase Covid-19 insurance.A notice issued by the Ministry of Public Security on 15 December 2022 outlines the regulations on health insurance for foreign labor, which have been ...
Phontham Visapra
Lancang-Mekong tourist cities forum to be held in Sanya
A tourism cooperation forum featuring tourist cities in countries along the Lancang-Mekong River will be held in Sanya, south China’s Hainan Province, local authorities announced on Saturday. Delegations from 26 tourist cities in China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam will participate in the forum, ...
USAID funds project to monitor HIV prevalence
Laos has a concentrated HIV epidemic compared to other countries, with the prevalence of HIV still at a low level in key groups. But risk behaviours threaten to increase the prevalence of HIV transmission amongst the population so the National Centre for HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted ...
The Mekong subregion in Beijing’s strategic calculus
The strategically vital Mekong subregion has been gaining salience in Beijing’s strategic calculations as China faces growing pushback from the US and other countries. The global pandemic appears to be consolidating a few trends in China’s ties with the Mekong nations. In this emerging scenario, it is likely ...
K. YHOME
Media law approved, but needs more changes: Assembly
National Assembly members have called for media outlets, individuals and entities that operate within the industry to be more clearly defined by law to ensure the media contributes positively to national protection and development. Members highlighted these points when debating a draft amendment to the ...
Mekong River flooding expected next week
The much anticipated annual flooding season in the Mekong Delta is set to arrive in the next few days, much later than usual. The Mekong River Commission (MRC) reports that the floods have reached Thailand and Laos now, and should reach Cambodia in the next few ...
Minh Nga
350kg of compressed marijuana seized off Mekong River
Navy officers in the Laos-bordering province of Nakhon Phanom seized a compressed marijuana shipment of about 350 kilogrammes as it was being offloaded from the Mekong River. 2 men were arrested while 3 more fled and have not been apprehended yet in the bust that ...
Neill Fronde
Mekong group upgrades flood forecasting tool
The Mekong River Commission has updated its monitoring and flood forecasting front page to provide better information on the Mekong conditions. The commission’s Flood and Drought Forecast and Monitoring page has recently been revitalized since the last improvement in 2018 with a new interface, the MRC, ...
Minh Nga
Tiger sightings in Thailand boost conservationists’ hopes
A century ago tigers were kings of the jungle across much of Southeast Asia. Literally so. The striped predators ruled supreme at the top of food chains in thick forests from Laos to Malaysia and from Burma to Vietnam. No longer. Most of those forests have ...
Water Becomes a Weapon in China’s Geopolitical Chess
Many centuries ago, the great Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu observed: “The nature of water is such that it avoids heights and hastens to the lowlands. When a dam is broken, the water cascades with irresistible force. Now the shape of an army resembles water. Take ...
Mayank Singh
Mekong River Commission provides updates on Luang Prabang and Sanakham consultation plans
The prior consultation process of the 1460MW Luang Prabang hydropower on the Mekong mainstream will now be concluded on 30 June 2020, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) has announced, with prior consultation to start on the 684MW Sanakham project once this is complete. During the Special ...
Which Asian Country has the Highest and Lowest Unemployment Rates
Mongolia, Pakistan, Indonesia and Philippines have the highest employment rates in Asia. By contrast, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos post the lowest unemployment rates. Mongolia has the highest employment rate in Asia with 7.3 per cent. The country has seen a poor labour market with a ...
DataLEADS
Mekong region leaders envision interference-free future
Leaders of Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand agreed on a common vision to push for the region’s true potential while at the Asean World Economic Forum in Vietnam this week. Prime Minister Hun Sen said during his closing remarks that each country in the ...
Thailand’s PTTGC eyes Bt2bn-3bn plastics sales from CLMV markets
Thailand’s PTT Global Chemical aims to generate sales of baht (Bt) 2bn-3bn ($60m-90m) from neighboring countries, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV), as it makes investments to boost the region’s plastics industry, the company’s president and CEO Supattanapong Punmeechaow told ICIS. Keep reading ...
Pearl Bantillo
Countdown to LMI Women’s Leadership Forum
The countdown to the 2019 LMI Women’s Leadership Forum has begun.Thirty-five leaders from Cambodia, Laos PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam will meet in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to share their inspiring work in the Lower Mekong Region. The three-day forum will be held in Cambodia on January ...