San Diego Lao Food Festival 2025 set to open next month in June

This year marks the event's 3rd iteration.  In just a short period, this event has become one of America's largest Lao food festival events in the country.

Lao community mourns the death of an iconic Lao chef

Ponpailin "Noi" Kaewduangdee

Photo by:  Mick Shippen

We are saddened to hear the news of the passing of Ponpailin "Noi" Kaewduangdee ພອນໄພລິນ "ນ້ອຍ" ແກ້ວດວງດີ, age 44.

Food blogger visits a Lao restaurant gaining fame

Source:  Gary Butler - The Roaming Cook, February 12, 2025

Chef Ponpalin "Noi" Kaewduangdee, one of Laos' rising star in the culinary world, opened her own restaurant in Vientiane called Doi Ka Noi and also published a beautiful Lao cook book entitled "A Child of the Rice Fields".  Follow along as Butler visits her restaurant with his family, explores her kitchen and cooks a dish with the chef.

Laos included in a cultural and historical documentary on SE Asia

Source:  Christopher Clark, Cultural Itinerary, Get.factual, March 26, 2025
Beautifully filmed overview of some of Southeast Asia's most iconic locations with Luang Prabang, Laos included (starting at time marker 15:33).

Luang Prabang - A World Heritage Town at Risk

Source:  Asia Insight, NHK World-Japan, March 29, 2025

Follow along as Asia Insight focuses on Luang Prabang, its tourism industry, and its changing demographics.  This is juxtaposed with a feature on Ms. Phang Sangchansavang, a Luang Prabang native and grandmother, sharing how all these changes affect local life.  

If the video above doesn't load for you, please click on the link instead to view on Youtube.

Journal of Lao Studies 2024

Title:  Journal of Lao Studies 2024 Vol. 8
Edited by:  Center for Lao Studies

Publisher, Year:  Center for Lao Studies, 2024

Cost:  Free to download

After a 4 years break, the journal has returned, albeit in online only format for 2024.  For those who haven't checked it out, CLS has posted the research essays and book review on their website.  And it's all free to download and read - check out what they wrote about!

8th Lao Studies Conference 2025

Calling all scholars, students and fans of Lao studies.  This is your event!

When: 11-14 September 2025
Where: Centre of Asian and Transcultural Studies, Voßstr. 2, Building 4110, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany