Makerbox Becomes First Public Community Makerspace in Laos
The Makerbox Lao (MBL) is the first public “maker space” in Laos, allowing members and visitors to enjoy a co-working space, as well as state-of-the-art facilities for experimentation and discovery around science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) at the space. The space will host ...
Laotian Times
Cassava Boom Leading to Deforestation, Air Pollution in Laos
The demand for cassava has seen it become the most profitable agricultural product in Laos, as demonstrated by the country’s February trade figures: cassava was the leading export item, with figures totaling USD 85 million. Laos exports most of its cassava to Thailand and Vietnam, where ...
Manyphone Vongphachanh
Laos builds more dams, scientists worry about Mekong’s ecosystem
Instead of requesting additional data used in the building of Pak Lay hydroelectric dam in Laos, Dr Le Anh Tuan, a Mekong River expert and deputy head of the Institute for Climate Change Research at Can Tho University, believes that it would be better to ...
Work to start on road link to Dien Bien Phuin next two years
It could be another two years before authorities start building a road from Luang Prabang province to the Vietnamese border at Dien Bien Phu province despite the funding commitment by Vietnam. A senior official in charge of the proposed project at the Ministry of Public ...
ASEAN, Russia assess progress of cooperation
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday hosted the 14th ASEAN-Russia Senior Officials’ Meeting in Vientiane to review the progress made in the countries’ cooperation. The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Thongphane Savanphet, who is also Laos’ ASEAN SOM Leader, and ...
Cambodia, Laos losing the last of their trees
Despite official pledges to halt the trade, smugglers in Cambodia and Laos are finding ways to illegally ship timber to neighboring Vietnam. The precious hardwood is often used in furniture factories that ship their products largely to China. []Located west of the Mekong River and covering ...
DAN SOUTHERLAND
Laos, partners agree on education development projects
The government has received support for two education development projects in Huaphan province from the Australian government, European Union, ChildFund Australia and ChildFund Korea, worth a total of almost US$2 million. The two projects are Basic Education Quality and Access in the Lao PDR Non-Governmental ...
Inspection authority scrutinises unauthorised projects
The State Inspection Authority is investigating unauthorised development projects carried out by government sectors in Vientiane and the provinces in 2013 and 2014. Although these projects are now complete, the inspection aims to determine whether the government’s budget was used effectively. Anyone found to have ...
Workers in Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia call for better pay, benefits
Hundreds of workers took to the streets in Myanmar on Tuesday to call for a living wage, while in Laos marchers asked for social welfare benefits and better protection for citizens working abroad, sources said. Meanwhile, in Cambodia, workers gathered but were forbidden to ...
Regional meeting cements partnership in tourism
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam plus Thailand (CLMV+T) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen their cooperation in promoting tourism. The countries’ leaders agreed on their tourism partnership during the two-day Regional Workshop on Methods and Strategies for Implementing Public Private Sector for Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Plus Thailand, ...
Vietnam, Laos discuss decentralisation
Vietnamese and Lao legislators shared experience in management decentralisation from central to grassroots levels during a workshop held in Hanoi on Tuesday. Lao National Assembly President Pany Yathoutou and Vietnam National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tòng Thi Phóng co-chaired the event, which demonstrated the role and ...
International visitors top expenditure of regional tourists
International tourists have generated a bigger expenditure in the country over regional tourists, even though regional tourist arrivals were 92 percent higher last year. According to a newly released national statistics report from the Tourism Development Department under the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the ...
Drug production in Laos and Myanmar still a major threat
In December 2017, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released its latest report on opium production in Myanmar and, at face value, the news was good. Since 2015, the area of cultivated opium poppy in Myanmar’s Shan and Kachin states has decreased ...
John Coyne
Laos Has Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 34% Over Ten Years
Laos has announced it has successfully reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent over the last ten years. Prime Minister of Laos, Dr. Phankham Viphavanh, spoke via remote communication at the UN General Assembly in New York last month, saying that Laos had been able to ...
Phayboune Thanabouasy
Laos, Thailand boost trade, investment cooperation
High ranking Lao and Thai officials met in Vientiane on May 24 to discuss increased cooperation across different sectors in order to promote trade and investment between both nations. Laos was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Mr Somdy Duangdy, while Thailand by Deputy ...
COVID-19 Drives New Surge in Trafficking of Women From Laos to China
Economic hardship in Lao villages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is driving a new surge in the trafficking to China of Lao women and girls desperate to find jobs, police and other sources in the Southeast Asian country say. “Right now, our police department is working ...
Reported by RFA’s Lao Service. Translated by Max Avary. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Government of Laos Dissolves Ministry of Science and Technology
The government of Laos has dissolved the Ministry of Science and Technology, transferring its departments to various different ministries. According to a notice issued by the Politburo of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, the Ministry of Science and Technology has been dissolved, leaving Laos with just ...
Phayboune Thanabouasy
VN, neighbours discuss migrant work
Ensuring social security, knowledge and stable incomes for workers is a top priority for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Việt Nam, Deputy Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, Doãn Mậu Diệp, said yesterday. He spoke at the opening of a Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) ...
92nd joint patrol on Mekong River a big success
The 92nd Mekong River joint patrol by China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand concluded on Saturday morning (April 25) as three Chinese law enforcement boats returned to Guanlei Port in the southwest Province of Yunnan. A total of 109 law enforcement officers from the four countries participated ...
Vietnam channels investment capital to Laos
The Vietnamese government has approved total investment of almost US$21.4 billion, US$5.12 billion of which has been allocated to Laos. The Vietnamese Ministry of Planning and Investment was quoted in the Vietnam News recently as saying that Vietnam had channelled the US$21.4 billion into 1,188 ...
