Is the economic crisis in Laos coming to an end?

Written By:  James Guild
Publisher, Date:  The Diplomat, December 4, 2025

The kip has stabilized and inflation is dropping, but the issue of the government’s heavy external debt remains unresolved.

New mapping reveals hidden mining boom in Laos that threatens the Mekong

Written by: Any Ball, Gerald Flynn, and Konlaphat Siri
Edited by: Philip Jacobson
Publisher, Date:  Mongabay, December 10, 2025

Key points

• Satellite analysis has identified 517 suspected riverbank mines in Laos, many likely illegal, with clusters along key Mekong tributaries, raising fears of widespread, unmonitored contamination.
• Officials in Attapeu province confirmed illegal mining remains pervasive despite crackdowns, with most operations missing from official records and many linked to Vietnamese or Chinese supply chains.
• The mining surge, including gold and rare earth extraction, poses major risks to ecosystems and communities in the Mekong Basin, where water testing capacity is weak and signs of declining fish populations and polluted rivers are emerging.
• Researchers say Mekong countries must coordinate regionally and engage China, the main importer of the region’s mining output, while strengthening enforcement and environmental oversight to address a rapidly expanding, largely unregulated mining sector.