People and government

Luang Namtha provincial authorities are allowing some poor families to grow rubber trees on their small allotments to discourage illegal plantings in forest conservation areas. An official from the provincial Planning and Investment Department, Mrs Phommy Somboun, told Vientiane Times on January 5 the policy was ...

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen will attend the official opening ceremony of the new Nong Nokkhiane-Trapeang Kriel international border checkpoint on January 10, according to Laos’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 5. The new international border checkpoint will ...

While not ruling out a postponement of the general election until next year, after a member of the National Legislative Assembly raised doubts about the issue, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha said on January 4 the current atmosphere was not suitable for election campaigns. “As you ...

Vientiane Professional Development College will provide 160 scholarships to students who lack opportunities to study in Laos. Head of Office at Vientiane Professional Development College, Ms Manolack Pathammavong told Vientiane Times on January 4 that this year the college plans to provide scholarships in three phases ...

The Labour Ministry plans to organize a training programme for Thais who want to work as caregivers for the elderly in Japan, after law changes in that country prepare to open the industry to foreigners. In Japan, a recently passed law on nursing care will ...

Educators argue that it is unreasonable to blame the education sector for the high number of unemployed university graduates.“This is a misconception. Vietnam now runs a market economy and you must not expect  the number of university graduates to be exactly equal to the number ...

Prospective voters ran into problems on January 3 during the first publication of the country’s new voter lists. Citizens will have until January 14 to check their names and information on voter lists to confirm they are correct, either in person, at registration offices or online. But ...

Tourist arrivals during 2016 to the World Heritage town of Luang Prabang rose to more than 601,000, from over 500,000 in 2015, and this number is expected to rise further in 2017, the local tourism authority said. Head of the province’s Information, Culture and Tourism ...

The long-awaited and final section of the 2014 census will be revealed within four months, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population, adding that preparations for the release of the ethnicity data are underway now. U Myint Kyaing, permanent secretary of the ministry, told The ...

Any man who cohabitates with or impregnates a woman after agreeing to marry her, but then fails to stand by the promise, could soon face prison terms if a draft law comes into effect. The Prevention of Violence against Women Law includes a clause that ...