Laos News

The National Disaster Management Office under the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare of Lao People's Democratic Republic held a workshop on ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response here on May 13-14. The AADMER was signed by 10 ASEAN countries in 2005 and was ratified and implemented since 2009.

Prime Minister of Laos Thongsing Thammavong will lead a high-level delegation to attend a joint Lao-Thai cabinet meeting and the 2nd Asia Pacific Water Summit in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on May 19-20. His visit is in response to an invitation from Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

Crickets are some of the most commonly eaten insects in the world and are regarded as a solution for the malnutrition problem plaguing Laos.

Malaysian and Lao business associations plan to collaborate in promoting trade and investment and to further enhance and strengthen ties for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam have welcomed the expansion of the East-West Economic Corridor to boost mutual cooperation.

Australia and Germany are partnering to improve access to financial credit for poor people in southern Laos.

Hundreds of expectant mothers stood in line yesterday to receive free influenza vaccinations against the H1N1, H3N2 and B/Hybei-Wujiagang/158/2009 viruses at the opening ceremony of a vaccination campaign which runs until June 30.

Thailand is to invite Laos to sign up to a single-visa scheme for foreign tourists when the country's leaders meet at a summit in Chiang Mai on Sunday, a government source said.

Laos has shifted focus from solely economic development to environmental protection as part of efforts to ensure sustainable planning of hydropower projects, according to a senior government official.

Laos is seeking help from the Chinese government to conduct detailed surveys of its mineral wealth, aiming to use the information to help regulate the mining industry, according to a senior government official.

Almost 10,000 people have died in road accidents in Laos over the past 22 years, according to a Lao government report this week.

Thailand and Laos will soon forge closer cooperation in promoting trade by upgrading two border checkpoints, adopting the single-stop inspection system and implementing a single visa.

Next to the "tourist ghetto" e.g. Vientiane's quarter where many tourists stay and eat, in particular backpackers there are the endless sandbanks of the mighty Mekong stream, the world's 12th longest river.

The Asian Development Bank is planning to provide a US$60 million low-interest loan to Laos at the end of the year to help reduce rural poverty and improve food security.

The number of dengue fever cases recorded in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, so far this year is already six times the figure registered for the same period last year.

Japan's Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone Company Limited will partner with the Namtha Road and Bridge Construction Company Limited to develop Zone B of the Savan-Seno Special Economic Zone .

The tourism sector is now the second largest income earner in Laos after the mining sector, according to a recent tourism statistics report.

Like the nation of Laos itself, the cuisine takes a back seat to its larger and more familiar neighbors Thailand and Vietnam.

War is an ugly endeavor fought by brave warriors at the behest of national leaders.

ABOARD THE EASTERN & ORIENTAL EXPRESS - Beads of sweat trickle down my forehead on a muggy night in Bangkok when I realize I'm late for the Eastern & Oriental Express train.