asia Laos' president to visit North Korea for celebration of ruling party

SEOUL — Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith will visit North Korea at the invitation of leader Kim Jong-un for celebrations commemorating the country's ruling party on Oct 10, state news agency KCNA announced on Thursday (Oct 2). The visit would...

(LEAD) Laos' leader to visit N. Korea to mark key party anniv.: KCNA

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details throughout; CHANGES photo) SEOUL, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) -- Laos' President Thongloun Sisoulith will visit North Korea to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the North's ruling Workers' Party of Korea, state media...

Rising Number of Lao Tourists Choose Malaysia as Travel Ties Strengthen

Malaysia is seeing a notable uptick in visitors from Laos this year, pointing to a growing interest among Lao travelers in regional destinations. According to data from Malaysia’s official tourism statistics, 14,733 Lao citizens visited the...

Lao Cai sets sights on northern growth pole

Lao Cai (VNA) - The first congress of the Party Organisation of Lao Cai province for the 2025–2030 tenure wrapped up on September 30, agreeing on five key tasks, three breakthrough steps, and ten specific measures to transform the province into a...

Authorities discover more than $200,000 worth of shocking cargo in airline traveler's luggage — here's what they found

Thai customs officials arrested a Vietnamese passenger en route to Laos after discovering five concealed rhino horns in his luggage. What's happening? On September 6, customs officials at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok,...

Lao PDR Launches First National Youth Forum to Champion Climate-Smart Agriculture and Resilient Food Systems

KPL Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), last Wednesday launched the First National Youth Forum 2025. This landmark three-day event aims to harness the...

The traditional friendship between Laos and China is at its best in history

The opening session of our China Conference 2025, held in London on September 27, was addressed by senior diplomats from the embassies of the People’s Republic of China, Republic of Cuba, Russian Federation, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and...

Lancang-Mekong international tourist route launches in southwest China's Yunnan

KUNMING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Lancang-Mekong River international tourist shipping service was officially launched on Wednesday in the Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna in southwest China's Yunnan Province, according to the prefectural...

ADB revises Laos' growth down to 3.7 pct for 2025

VIENTIANE, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has revised Laos' economic growth forecast down to 3.7 percent for 2025 and 3.8 percent for 2026, citing concerns over debt vulnerabilities, weak demand, and tariffs. In its April 2025...

Lao-China Railway to Halt Passenger Services Temporarily Due to Typhoon Bualoi

KPL The Lao-China Railway Company has announced a temporary suspension of all passenger train services on September 30, 2025, as Typhoon Bualoi is forecast to impact northern Laos over the coming days. According to the company, the decision comes...

Top News Headlines In Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand & Vietnam: Oct 1, 2025

INDONESIA 1.FREEPORT AGREES ON 12 PCT DIVESTMENT DEAL AT NO COST: DANANTARA -- JAKARTA GLOBE US miner Freeport McMoran has agreed to divest 12 per cent of its stake in a local arm to Indonesia at no cost, according to the sovereign wealth fund...

LAO TOURISM EXPECTS A RECORD-BREAKING YEAR

The Mekong lazily meanders through Laos, and the country is proving it’s shaking off its image as Southeast Asia’s wallflower in the tourism game. A pretty significant bounce-back has seen Lao tourism jump 15% in the year's first eight months of...

Brit tourist arrested in Thailand for 'crystal meth smuggling'

The British tourist was arrested in Thailand(Image: Asia Pacific Press via ViralPress) A British tourist accused of attempting to smuggle a suitcase full of crystal meth out of Thailand has been arrested. The man is said to have received 9.15kg of...

Moment Brit, 23, 'is found with 9kg of crystal meth in his suitcase by Thai police': UK tourist is latest to be accused of smuggling drugs out of the country - which risks possible death penalty

A British tourist is facing the death penalty for allegedly attempting to smuggle a suitcase full of crystal meth out of Thailand. George Wilson, 23, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, is said to have received 9.15kg of methamphetamine from...

Supporting Lao MSMEs and Young Entrepreneurs to Build a Sustainable Tourism Value Chain

KPL The Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) and Plan International Laos have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Lasting Laos Project – Supporting Young Entrepreneurs and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the Lao...

Major Infrastructure Push Targets Road, Rail, and Waterway Upgrades in Laos

Laos has launched a five-year strategic roadmap to modernize its national transport system, with a focus on upgrading roads, bridges, railways, and waterways. Key projects include the Laos–Vietnam and Vientiane–Champasack railway lines. The plan...

British tourist, 23, faces death penalty for ‘smuggling 9kg of meth out of Thailand’

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A young British man has been accused of trying to smuggle a suitcase full of crystal meth out of Thailand. George Wilson is alleged to...

Southeast Asia’s Tourism Recovery: Winners and Losers

Pandemic-related travel restrictions that began in 2020 obviously affected the entire world, but Southeast Asia was one of the hardest hit regions. International borders closed without much warning, strict quarantine requirements lingered for...

Vientiane Province to Upgrade Tourism Sector with USD-7-million Deluxe Hotel Project

Authorities in Vang Vieng are moving forward with plans to develop the district into a higher-end tourism destination, with a USD 7 million investment in a new 5-star hotel project. The planned hotel will be 11 storeys high and built on a site...

World : ASEAN Rice Diplomacy Reaches Flood-hit Rural Lao Villages

By Vijian Paramasivam PHNOM PENH, Sept 30 (Bernama) -- ASEAN diplomacy is transcending beyond its traditional contours of trade and politics, with the bloc’s “rice diplomacy” extending support to thousands of flood-affected victims across the...