News
Railway could be built sooner than planned: Official

Much has been done to move construction of the Vientiane-China railway forward following the groundbreaking ceremony that took place last month, the Deputy Minister of Public Works and Transport has said. Mr Lattanamany Khounnivong told local media last week that construction could take just over four ...
Thousands stopped on roads

Cambodian authorities have wasted no time in making sure drivers obey the new Traffic Law that came into force on New Year’s Day, fining or “educating” over 24,000 road users in the first three days, part of a nationwide effort to encourage motorcyclists and others ...
Vietnam army concessions are ‘unconstitutional’
Opposition leader Sam Rainsy has levelled further criticism at the Vietnamese army’s alleged control of 40,000 hectares of economic land concessions (ELCs) in Ratanakkiri province, claiming that the grants are in violation of the Cambodian constitution. Transferred over 2011 and 2012 to Vietnamese companies Veasna Investment, ...
Thailand-Cambodia rail link complete by December

Construction of a restored rail link with Cambodia to improve transport in the Mekong sub-region will be completed by the end of 2016, Khmer officials say. The Phnom Penh Post reported on 4 January that Cambodian Tourism Minister Thong Khon visited the construction site in Banteay Meanchey province, ...
ASEAN: Ten become one
With the arrival of the new year, Southeast Asia has finally embarked on an important new journey that has been years in preparation. The hope is that the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) will bring a new era of growth, though many say there won’t be conspicuous changes ...
5 Vietnamese arrested for stealing in Thailand: report

Thai police have arrested four men and one woman, all Vietnamese nationals, for allegedly stealing 4,000 baht (US$110.6) in cash from local tourist shops, news website The Nation reported on 3 January. Keep reading ...
Chinese vessel sank fishing boat in Vietnamese waters: authorities

Border guards in Quang Tri Province have confirmed that a Chinese steel fishing vessel rammed and sank a Vietnamese fishing boat off Quang Tri, VTC News reported. Senior Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Huy Tho of the Quang Tri Border Guard Command said the sinking occurred around 40 ...
Vietnam weakens dong fixing as it adopts market-based rate

The State Bank of Vietnam reduced the dong’s reference rate for the first time since August, after saying over the weekend that it is moving to a more market-based methodology in setting a daily reference rate versus the dollar. It lowered the fixing by 0.03 percent ...
What is the value of the Mekong river?

Putting a value on the Mekong River and measuring the impact it has on the gross domestic product (GDP) of downstream countries has for a long time been a strategic target of bureaucrats and non-governmental organizations seeking to measure and protect the world’s twelfth longest ...
Laos-Japan economic zone to benefit local community
The new specific economic zone (SEZ) being developed through cooperation between Laos and Japan should bring economic and other benefits to the government, local administrations and people by being a model on transparency of investment. Relevant officials made the comments about the project recently on the ...