GMS nations back investment boost
The region’s transportation network stands to get an investment boost after the The 21st Greater Mekong Subregion Ministerial Conference decided on a new investment plan on December 1. Six ministers from GMS countries — China, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar — endorsed an additional ...
Police who use position for personal gain should be disciplined
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – The case of a well-known Lao businessman who was fined over a dubious traffic offence has been a hot topic on social media after he referred the incident to the court of public opinion.The man was driving a Jeep on Road ...
News Desk
Study assesses Phou Bia mountain’s tourism potential
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – Xaysomboun province’s Information, Culture and Tourism Department and the Khamphay Sana Group have begun a feasibility study on the building of tourist facilities on Phou Bia Mountain, hoping to spur interest in environmental protection while also opening up the area to ...
Viengdavanh Banphahaksa
Thailand puts 24 provinces on alert in swine fever watch
Thailand has designated 24 provinces as “surveillance areas” for African swine fever and ordered strict animal controls in hopes of preventing an outbreak of the deadly disease that has hit its neighbours, an agriculture official said on Friday. Thailand has been on high alert since the ...
Australia, Germany, Switzerland to provide nearly USD13 m to improve Mekong’s overall state
Australia, Germany, and Switzerland on Jun 24 committed nearly USD13 million in funding to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to assist Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam to respond to pressing challenges while safeguarding the ecological function of the Mekong River and improving people’s ...
KPL
Is China meeting its international environmental and human rights obligations on BRI?
On Thursday, April 25, 2019, Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation in Beijing. Heads of state and other senior government officials from 37 governments will attend, including representatives from ...
Oliver Ward
EEC tied to China's One Belt, One Road
The government says the much-touted Eastern Economic Corridor is ready to be an important part of China’s One Belt, One Road initiative, which envisions connectivity between China and Eurasia. Speaking Monday at a seminar entitled “Thailand-Hong Kong-Shanghai Strategic Partnership on One Belt, One Road,” Deputy ...
Solar, wind may boost Mekong region energy
Water management in the Mekong region is, in practice, dominated by energy objectives. In Cambodia, the priority is to substitute domestically produced hydropower for expensive diesel and electricity imports. In Laos, the priority is to generate revenue by drawing in foreign investment in dams and export ...
VNS Reporter
India approves CLMV fund
The government of India yesterday approved the creation of a project development fund of about $75 million to help Indian firms invest in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam ‒ the so-called CLMV countries. “The project development fund will benefit India’s industrial community in terms of business ...
Civic groups call for reviews into Mekong River dam projects
Civic groups on Sunday lodged a petition calling for governments of countries along the Mekong River to review upcoming dam projects. The petition was on Sunday submitted to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) by the Mekong Conservation Network in the North during a forum held in ...
Wassayos Ngamkham
China is making Mekong friends
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping took over power in 2012, Southeast Asia has become a focal point of China’s geopolitical ambitions. Instead of the clandestine and illegal tactics seen under Mao Zedong, the current strategy combines two major approaches: building Chinese-led institutional mechanisms and buying ...
Covid-19 measures update: Entry from outbreak countries banned
Vientiane Times – The government will no longer issue entry visas for people travelling to Laos from countries with a community outbreak of Covid-19, the national taskforce has announced.The move is part of new measures being imposed until December 31 to prevent and control the ...
Boten SEZ eyeing investment of over US$11 billion
VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN) – Boten Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in Luang Namtha province is anticipating investment of at least US$10 billion to fully develop the site, according to a zone representative.The zone borders on Bohan in Yunnan province, China, and is part of the rapidly-growing ...
Souksamai Boulom
Giant coal plant taking shape in Sihanoukville
Nearly half of a massive 700-megawatt coal-fired power plant with the $383 million joint venture project that will fuel the country’s biggest industrial park and feed the national grid is set to be completed by the end of the year, according to officials at the Ministry ...
Thailand: Cross-border trade up 6 percent in 2018
Thailand fetched 1.4 trillion THB (44.5 billion USD) from cross-border trade in 2018, up 6 percent over the previous year, but falling short of the set target of 1.5 trillion THB. According to Thailand’s Department of Foreign Trade, the ongoing US-China trade row, natural disasters, ...
9 Tips to Stay Safe Online in the Age of COVID-19
ShareTweetShare0 Shares The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the need to protect not only one’s own physical health, but also our digital selves. The Open Development Initiative has developed a set of nine tips for staying safe online during the pandemic. This is in response to the increasing ...
Lancang-Mekong Cooperation: After Five Fruitful Years, A New Journey Awaits
On March 23, 2016, the first LMC Leaders’ Meeting was successfully held in Sanya, Hainan. In the spirit of a “shared river, shared future”, leaders of China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam jointly announced the launch of the LMC – a new type of ...
Wang Yi
The Mekong and the battle for the ‘Mother of Rivers’
For wildlife enthusiasts in the region, these are exciting times. A horned lizard and rainbow-headed snake were among 163 delightful new species documented last year by scientists alongside 10 endangered Irrawaddy dolphin calves. Fewer than 90 Irrawaddy dolphins exist on the planet.But all is not ...
Thai Wah eyes export boost
Thai Wah has budgeted Bt2 billion to expand its capacity to produce tapioca, cellophane noodles and other high-value products for export to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam this year under a plan to boost total sales to Bt10 billion in 2019. Ho Ren Hua, chief ...
NASA Satellite Images Show Mekong River Change From Brown To Green
NASA and the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Landsat 8 satellite captured images of the Mekong river before and after it turned from its signature brown to an unusual aquamarine color. According to authorities, it is possible for the green color to persist until the ...
Athena Chan