The National Disaster Management Committee is preparing to respond to emergencies caused by heavy rainfall through the prompt provision of assistance and subsequent recovery. Numerous countries around the world including Laos suffer from weather extremes such as floods and earthquakes as well as crop pests and ...

More than three tonnes of elephant ivory have been found at a Thai port stashed in a container shipped from Kenya, customs said on Monday, the second huge haul of tusks from Africa in less than a week. The discovery, which would be worth millions of ...

Malaysia has handed over the chairmanship of ASEAN to Laos, having fulfilled its eight priorities as ASEAN chair for this year. On 22 November, at the Kuala Lumpur Conven­tion Centre, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak handed over a gavel to Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong – ...

A severe drought that has caused water levels in Southeast Asia’s Mekong River to drop to their lowest in more than 100 years could have devastating consequences for fish, as well as the tens of millions of people living and working along the river, experts warn. The ...

Authorities have warned local poachers to stop hunting aquatic animals and wildlife listed as conservation after learning a number of endangered animals are being hunted despite a poaching ban. Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Dr Lien Thikeo issued a Ministerial Order recently to reinforce the ...

Authorities in Champassak province are confident that the Mekong River Integrated Management Project planned for Pakxe city will soon resume now that the Ministry of Finance has submitted a request for an additional loan to complete the first phase of the Landslide Protection Project. Officials in ...

On 30 December, Lao Prime Minster Phankham Viphavanh (72) resigned ostensibly on health grounds, but amidst an economy in sharp decline and saddled in foreign debt. He is succeeded by the scion of one of the country’s two political dynasties, Deputy Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone (56). Politics in ...

Top diplomats and delegations from across 10 countries commenced descent into the Lao capital Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers Retreat. Keep reading ...

The ministries of health of Laos and other countries in the Mekong Region are taking steps to prevent and control avian influenza, or bird flu, over the next two months, in anticipation of a possible outbreak. Bird flu is an infectious disease of birds caused by ...

Thailand has rejected a new technical report on Laos’ Sanakham dam project, one of nine large-scale Mekong River mainstream dams integral to Vientiane’s controversial economic strategy of becoming the “Battery of Southeast Asia.” The 684-megawatt Sanakham dam is one of seven future dams in various stages ...

Laos and the Republic of Korea have enjoyed growing bilateral relations and cooperation over the past two decades since they established diplomatic ties on 25 October 1995. Officials of both sides hailed the diplomatic and cooperation achievements at a ceremony this week at the Lao Embassy ...

Just over a year ago, I reported on the uncertain future of the Khon Pi rapids, located near the Thai town of Chiang Khong and lying in the riverbed between Thailand and Laos. At issue was the desire of a Chinese company to blast the rapids and ...

Xayaboury province is becoming a major transit hub for international tourists after the government upgraded a border crossing with Thailand to inter-national level, according to a senior provincial official.  “We are becoming a new transit hub for international tourists coming to Laos,” the province’s Deputy Governor, ...

Leaders from the six countries along the Lancang-Mekong River agreed on 23 March in China’s Hainan province to join forces to build a peaceful and prosperous community, the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said, and has reached the agreement at the first Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting ...

Dealing with and attempting to mitigate disaster scenarios is why experts, both military and civilian, from six nations were in the capital of Laos participating in the 2015 Lower Mekong Initiative Disaster Relief Exercise and Exchange. The LMI DREE is an annual civil-military disaster preparedness and ...

Construction of a 414 km railway line linking China to mainland Southeast Asia through Laos is underway in Phonesai village, about 30km north of Luang Prabang, the country’s ancient former capital and modern-day tourism center. A workers’ dormitory has been built under a banner in ...

India is eyeing the huge opportunities in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) and wants Indian financial institutes to establish branches in the region to boost trade and investment between the two sides. Addressing the third India – CLMV Business Conclave held last week at the ...

A delegation of Lao officials will visit two neighboring countries to inform them about the commencement of construction work on a controversial 260-megawatt hydropower dam on the Mekong River, a Lao official with knowledge of the issue said on 14 October. Three lower Mekong countries – ...

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has pledged to amend legislation to improve the business environment amid fierce international competition by governments to improve their ease of doing business. he government will “amend the Investment Promotion Law and relevant legislation to smooth business operations ...

Lao health officials and medical staff at hospitals across the country, are endeavouring to combat the increasing number of dengue fever cases in 2019. Many hospitals in the capital of Vientiane have converted corridors and meeting rooms into wards due to a lack of space to ...