Back on November 11, 2021, the UN Economic and Social Council's Committee for Development Policy, recommended that the Lao PDR graduate from the least developed country (LDC) category. This would be seen as an incredible milestone in Laos' development since the country's modern inception in 1975 when it became a republic.
Title: Hearts of Freedom - Stories of Southeast Asian Refugees
By: Peter Duschinsky, Colleen Lundy, Michael J. Molloy, Allan Moscovitch, Stephanie Phetsamay Stobbe
Forward by: Rt Hon. Joe Clark (former Prime Minister of Canada)
Publisher, Year: McGill-Queens University Press, 2025
Price: CAD$35
Written from the Canadian perspective, the release of this book is serendipitously perfect as this year, 2025, marks the 50th anniversary of when Canada and many other countries began letting in Lao immigrants following the end of the Vietnam War.
If you've never heard this song before, get into it.
Original Title: Former Employees of the Lao Post Office Prosecuted in Major Fraud Case
By: Kheuakham Chanlivong, Laotian Times, May 9, 2025
Authorities in Laos have prosecuted several former employees of the Lao Post Office in a major corruption case, successfully recovering over LAK 58 billion, approximately USD 2.7 million.
According to Souphalak Silapet, Vice Chairman of the Party Inspection Committee, the findings were reported during the 2024 annual inspection summary meeting held on 28 April.
There's a German artist known simply as Tona who has been travelling around the world painting his unique street art featuring profiles of locals in each city he visits, including Vientiane.
Why the loss of RFA and VOA matters to Lao language news followers
For several decades, Radio Free Asia (RFA) and Voice of America (VOA) have been providing unbiased and open news coverage in Lao language on news topics that media restrictive countries such as Laos don't typically provide.
For a country like Laos where Lao language news is scarce, RFA and VOA diversifies the way people get their news and broadens their perspective. The loss of these two news sources would be significant.
CNA Insider takes a deep dive into how China's official development aid and foreign direct investment in Laos is shaping the country.
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
Title: Tea Sector Development in Lao PDR - Understanding 20 Years of Opportunities and Challenges
By: Andrew Wilson
Publisher, Year: Helvetas Advisory Services, 2021
Funded by: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
Cost: Free download
If you're a tea lover like me, you'll definitely enjoy this deep dive into the tea industry and its history in Laos.
Title: The Laotian Cook: Traditional Recipes From Northern Laos - With voices from the smallholder farmers supported by IFAD and GAFSP-funded projects
By: Camilla Zanzanaini and Ritik Joshi
Lao translation by: Vinata Sayavong
Publisher, Year: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), 2023
Cost: FREE (download links below)
The number of casualties are still to be fully confirmed but most sources are reporting at least one person is dead and several injured. The explosion took place in Ban Nami, Muang Xay, Oudomxay province. Here's a video of the explosion.
Source: ອ.ອ້າຍນຸ ຄົນໂຕດຳ via Facebook, February 14, 2025
From January 22-26, Vientiane again hosted the Lao Food Festival. An exciting event for all the foodies out there. And it was free to attend!
Original title: Bus Crash Leaves One Dead, 43 Injured
By: KPL News, January 26, 2025
In this short documentary (24 minutes) from 2023, follow along with Andy Boreham as he travels from Kunming in southern China's Yunnan Province to the Lao People's Democratic Republic, stopping off at Boten, Luang Prabang, and Vientiane.
