Laos

14 December 2024
Fishermen are pictured at work on Tonle Sap lake. Cambodia's fishing communities fear for the sustainability of their livelihoods as the nation's development stokes its demand for energy. (Photo by Vutha Srey)
A general view of the Bangkok Hospital, where an Australian teenager was taken after drinking alcohol contaminated with methanol in Laos and passed away, in Bangkok on Nov. 22.
Crime

Lao government vows justice after tainted alcohol kills tourists

Danes, Australians, Briton and American died after visiting popular town among backpackers

24 November 2024
A general view of Vang Vieng and the surrounding landscape in Laos. Six tourists -- two Danes, two Australians, a Briton and an American -- have died after visiting the town.
22 November 2024
Bangkok Hospital Udon, where an Australian teenager was taken after drinking alcohol contaminated with methanol in Laos and died, in Udon Thani province, Thailand, on Nov. 21.
22 November 2024
The China-Laos Railway began operations in 2021, but only opened cross-border service last year. (Photo by Shunsuke Tabeta)
Travel & Leisure

China-Laos railway sees ridership surge during October holiday

Chinese passengers laud ease, affordability of trip to Southeast Asian neighbor

26 October 2024
A monument to the Pathet Lao, the Laotian communists and their struggle against the might of the U.S. military, in front of the Lao People’s Army History Museum in Vientiane. (Photo by Tom Vater)
Tea Leaves

Paradox of Laos shows how the past can haunt a place

U.S. 'secret war' has left the country struggling to escape its isolationist past

23 October 2024
More Laotians are converting cash into gold in response to the weakening kip. (Photo by Kosuke Inoue)
Economy

Laos pins hopes on gold trading as economy falters

Government sets up bullion bank to shore up currency reserves

22 October 2024
Laotian families set up roadside stalls like this one to sell their durians. But Chinese investors are moving in to grow the fruit on a much larger scale. (Photo by Beimeng Fu)
Big in Asia

Laos durian dreams grow as plantations rise to feed China

High-speed railway fuels investment in 'king of fruits' amid worries over forest loss

19 October 2024
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was welcomed by Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone to the gala dinner for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Vientiane on Oct. 10.
International relations

ASEAN leaders still at a loss over South China Sea and Myanmar

Economic cooperation with China upgraded but no East Asia joint statement

11 October 2024
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, center, joins hands with Southeast Asian leaders at the ASEAN-Japan summit in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct. 10.
Japan's new PM

New Japan PM Ishiba meets ASEAN leaders in diplomatic debut

Summit speech touches on regional cooperation in green and digital areas

10 October 2024
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra joins ASEAN summit for the first time. 
International relations

Thailand suggests 'informal consultation' for Myanmar crisis

December meeting of all ASEAN members to focus on achieving peace

9 October 2024
Laos' Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone, left, and his wife Vandara Siphandone pose for photos ahead of the opening ceremony of the ASEAN summit in Vientiane on Oct. 9.
International relations

ASEAN summit opens to discuss economic ties, regional security

Myanmar, South China Sea code of conduct still up for discussion

9 October 2024
Laos is one of the world's largest producers of coffee beans.
Food & Beverage

Laos project taps water resources to roast coffee with green hydrogen

Japan's TSB Greenex teams with 8 others to offer local coffee at low prices

6 October 2024
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet poses for a photo in Vietnam in late 2023. 
International relations

Cambodia pulls out of development pact with Laos and Vietnam after protests

PM Hun Manet says move takes 'into account people's concern on territory'

25 September 2024
Members of Tampopo practice sign language for the upcoming Deaflympics in Tokyo. Sign language has been recognized as a language recently in many countries. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Society

Sign language users await first Deaflympics in Japan

Sporting event offers stage for international exchange among learners, athletes

22 September 2024
Markets in Laos offer an array of tempting treats, but locals are struggling with dwindling purchasing power. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Inflation

Laos hit hard by inflation, currency woes and plunging spending power

Experts warn nation must cut debt to China and others to ease economic burden

9 September 2024
Amata founder and Chairman Vikrom Kromadit speaks to Nikkei Asia in an interview in Bangkok. (Photo by Toyoaki Fujiwara)
Supply Chain

Thailand's Amata eyes Laos as a hub for Chinese manufacturing exodus

Company is developing a new industrial site along the cross-border railway

23 August 2024
John Lee, center, in Ho Chi Minh City. He is the first Hong Kong chief executive to visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Trade

Hong Kong has ASEAN backing to join RCEP trade pact: John Lee

City goes on charm offensive after COVID-19, security law dent reputation

6 August 2024
The Pyongyang Restaurant in Vientiane no longer has clear signage identifying it by that name. (Photo by Junnoruke Kobara)
International relations

North Korean restaurants in Laos fly under radar

No signs, but plenty of clues to connection with Pyongyang

5 August 2024
Foreign ministers of Southeast Asian countries pose for a photo on the day of the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting at the National Convention Centre in Vientiane on July 25.
International relations

ASEAN ministers at loggerheads over Israel-Hamas conflict

Malaysia pushes line condemning violence, as Singapore, Thailand cause 'some discord'

27 July 2024
ASEAN's headquarters in Jakarta. This year's meetings of foreign ministers take place at a critical juncture as unrest in Myanmar threatens the bloc's unity and tensions in the South China Sea rise. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Myanmar Crisis

ASEAN ministers seek Myanmar breakthrough with 'troika' model

Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia to hold 'informal consultation' as regional talks begin

24 July 2024
Laos recently ousted the head of its central bank as authorities in the debt-laden country scramble for scarce foreign currency. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Laos central bank shake-up reveals forex crisis, China dependence

Vientiane may need more help from Beijing to stem cash outflows

14 July 2024
A train leaves Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station: SRT has been working with its Laotian counterpart ahead of the opening of the Thai-Lao rail link next month. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Transportation

Thailand's rail network to link to Laos-China high-speed train

Seamless connection aims to boost exports to China, foster tourism

11 June 2024
Laos' weakening currency threatens faster food price inflation. (Photo by Kenya Akama)
Economy

Laos, other debt-laden Asia-Pacific nations under pressure from strong dollar

ADB boosts funding for vulnerable countries amid debt trap fears

7 May 2024
A girl chases a bird atop piles of dirty plastic waste washed up on Labuan Beach in western Java, Indonesia. Experts say much of the trash has been imported via "waste trafficking" from developed countries. (Photo by Dimas Ardian)
The Big Story

Southeast Asia's plastic tidal wave: Imported trash swamps region

From Indonesia to Myanmar, China's 2018 import ban fed an already critical domestic waste problem

17 April 2024
A new train line connecting Laos and China helped attract tourists to the Southeast Asian country in 2023. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Travel & Leisure

Visitors to ASEAN hit 100m in 2023, 70% of pre-COVID level

Chinese-financed infrastructure drawing tourists to Laos, Cambodia

15 April 2024
The Laotian kip has depreciated by more than 10% from a year earlier. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
International relations

ASEAN finance chiefs to seek progress on cross-border payments

Host nation Laos looks to soften economic fallout from China slowdown

5 April 2024
Beijing is receiving one Southeast Asian dignitary after another this week, as the government seeks to shore up ties in the region. (Photo by Mizuho Miyazaki)
International relations

China hosts Vietnam, Laos, East Timor ministers in ASEAN outreach

After Indonesia's Prabowo, Beijing woos diplomats from countries not aligned with U.S.

2 April 2024
The Nam Ou hydroelectric plant, consisting of seven dams, is one of the largest power generation facilities in Laos' north. (Photo by Kenya Akama)
Energy

China goes big on Laos power projects, boosting Southeast Asian sway

Belt and Road Mekong River dams help Beijing secure renewable energy

12 March 2024
A ship transports containers down the Mekong River. Recently installed Cambodian PM Hun Manet said the $1.7 billion China-backed canal project would allow his country to "breathe through our own nose," diverting its goods for export directly to its own coast rather than via the Vietnam-controlled Mekong Delta. (Photo by Jack Brook)
Asia Insight

Cambodia to divert Mekong trade via China-built canal, vexing Vietnam

Planned Phnom Penh-coast link raises alarms amid regional influence tussle

12 March 2024