Meet the artist who designed the Lao kip

Source:  The XYZ Arts Center, 2022

Even at the age of 66, he admits that he still has the thirst and desire to learn different artistic styles and techniques.  Meet Mr. Anoulom Souvandouane.  

Corruption and Cigarettes

Original Title:  How Imperial Brands’ confidential contract kept cigarette prices low in Laos - while secretly enriching a political insider
By: Jason McLure, Maria Pérez, and Mailee Osten-Tan
Co-Published by:  The Examination and The Diplomat, June 17, 2025

The 2001 deal delivered millions to an in-law of the former president, Bounnhang Vorachit, while blocking tobacco tax hikes for 25 years.

This story was supported in part by a grant from the Pulitzer Center and is co-published between The Examination and The Diplomat.

Laos Uncovers Widespread Corruption, Records Billions in Losses Over Five Years

By:  Thongsavanh Souvannasane, Laotian Times, November 14, 2025

Laos has uncovered widespread corruption cases nationwide over the past five years, identifying 334 individuals implicated in financial misconduct between 2021 and 2025, with total losses exceeding LAK 642.93 billion (nearly USD 30 million), alongside significant losses in multiple foreign currencies.

Reminder regarding illegal surrogacy services in Laos

Original title:  Illegal surrogacy punishable by up to 19 years in jail, Lao government warns as cases reported
By:  Vientiane Times, June 2, 2025

VIENTIANE – The authorities have issued a stern warning against any form of surrogacy services in Laos, saying that perpetrators could be given prison sentences of up to 19 years and fined up to 400 million kip.

Check your Lao bills for 100,000 kip note counterfeits

Original title:  Lao central bank warns public over counterfeit 100,000 kip banknotes
By:  Vientiane Times, July 7, 2025

Image source:  Lao central bank and Vientiane Times

VIENTIANE – The Bank of the Lao PDR has issued an urgent warning after finding counterfeit 100,000 kip banknotes in circulation, calling on all citizens to be on the alert and carefully inspect notes before making or accepting payments.

An interview with the creator of the Lao Art Museum

Source:  Thai Lao Together, February 7, 2025

By now, most people have now heard or have visited the new and grand Lao Art Museum - with its 30,000 pieces of art work featured and a building project budget that was an estimated USD$50 million.  In this video, the Thai host does a fascinating interview with the creator of the Lao Art Museum, Mr. Phisith Sayasith, along with his daughter, Aliya.

How one young man is helping his village make a living and revive an old tradition

Source:  Code Lao Channel on Youtube, 2024

Follow along in this profile of Soukmixay "Aloukee" Khounladsuvannavong, who without much textile experience or money, was able to encourage villagers to take up textile weaving and help them earn a living.

70 years of Lao-Japan diplomatic ties marked by Princess Aiko's first time visit to Laos

Credit:  NHK World (Japan), November 18, 2025

Lao Friends Hospital for Children in Luangprabang celebrates its 10th year

Credit:  Friends Without a Border, 2025

Lao PDR's graduation from LDC set for 2026

Image:  UN document A/76/L.6/Rev.1

Source:  UN

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.

Canada and Lao Refugees

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.

Sent back to Laos

Since the beginning of 2025 in America under the Trump Administration, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began aggressively rounding up those with orders to leave the country and in particular with those with criminal records - no matter how minor the infraction or how long ago it was - and deporting them back to Laos.

An ode to Xiengkhouang

 

ຊຽງຂວາງແດນງາມ xiengkhouang deen ngam

Cover ໂດຍ: ຕ໋ອງ ກິດຕິພົງ ບຸນທອງສີ ແລະ ຕີ່ງນ່ອຍໆ

Source:  Tingnoinoi, 2021

If you've never heard this song before, get into it.

Vegetarian restaurants in Vientiane

 

Source:  foXnoMad, 2024

Follow along as Youtube vlogger FoxNomad explores Vientiane and tries out Lao vegetarian food options.

All about Lao silversmithing

A master silversmith's studio.

Source:  Robert Guides, 2014

We found some great videos on the craft of Lao silversmithing - it's a centuries old art form that not only survives but continues to thrive in the country.

Descendants of two exiled Lao princes are keeping alive Lao royal recipes

 

Source:  OTR Food & History, 2025

In a deeply fascinating interview that crosses both topics of Lao history and food, Youtube food vlogger OnTheRoad, visits Funky Lamb Kitchen - a Lao restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, owned by 2 descendants of Lao princes.

Massive Lao Art Museum

Lao Art Museum - main hall.  Source:  Laoconnection.com

The 1st Lao Gold Festival 2025

Source:  Lao Bullion Bank

Lao forest tea grown Xiengkhouang province

Source:  Pha Khao Lao, 2021

Youtube food traveler Max McFarlin eats his way through Laos

Source:  Mắc Ơi, 2020

From a kid's perspective: Learning about Lao silk

Source:  The Airplane Mode Family, 2025

Lao authorities on the hunt for corruption

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. 

Tingnoinoi's version of a very old Lao song

Song:  ຂັບທຸ້ມຫລວງພະບາງ kub toom muang luang prabang

Source:  Tingnoinoi, 2020

Lao orchestra, pianist, opera singers, and rock band all come together

Song: ສັນລະເສີນພັກ sunla sern puk

Source:  The Pianist Vientiane, March, 2025

On the hunt for art made by Tona in Vientiane

Source: Come Together ໄປນຳກັນ P26 Media

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.  

Recent cuts to news organizations RFA and VOA

Images: Logos of RFA and VOA

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.

What China's aid to Laos looks like

Source:  CNA Insider, MediaCorp Singapore, May 30, 2025

CNA Insider takes a deep dive into how China's official development aid and foreign direct investment in Laos is shaping the country.  

Start planning and get your tickets - Sabaidee Fest 2025 opens next month in July

Now in its third year, Sabaidee Fest has grown to become America's largest Southeast Asian music and cultural festival in a short period of time.

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

Learn about the Lao tea industry

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.

Meet a Lao textile historian and visit his Lao Textile Museum

Source:  P26 Media, 2021

Meet a Lao puppet master and artist

Source:  P26 Media, 2021

Learn Lao sign language basics - greetings

Episode 10 ການທັກທາຍ Greetings

Source: ຫ້ອງຮຽນພາສາມືລາວ Lao Sign Language Learning Room, 2023

Laos' Incredible Silk

Source:  Slice, April 7, 2024

Follow the story of Anou, a 30 year old grandson of an exiled aristocratic family, who moves back to Laos after having lived in France his entire life.  His family had specialized in textile weaving - something Anou continues with great interest.

Almost every mention of Laos in American movies

Source:  ScreenAnalysis, 2022

Satu - New Lao movie getting a lot of buzz

Source:  Jawbreaker Films

FREE BOOK - The Laotian Cook: Traditional Recipes From Northern 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)

Image:  Book cover

This book truly does a great deal.  It beautifully encompasses promoting Lao food, the farmers, and IFAD's programs - all in one.

Blue Chair - the Luang Prabang film festival returned in 2024

In December 2-9, 2024, Luang Prabang saw the return of its film festival, which had been renamed Blue Chair Film Festival 2 years ago.  At the beginning of 2024, we wrote about our hopes that it would return and thankfully it did.

Explosion rocks Nami village in Oudomxay - see the explosion and the aftermath

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

A Lao tradition - the blessing of the home

Source:  Lao Heritage Trails, 2022

In Laos, there are many spiritual ceremonies for all sorts of life events and they often intertwine animism with Buddhism.  One of those rituals is the blessing of the home which is typically done when you move into a new home or are about to build a new one.  Have a look.

Lao Food Festival 2025 in Vientiane

Source:  PadupDin, January 23, 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!

The Fascinating Cuisine of Laos: From Sticky Rice to Mekong Stingrays

Source:  OTR Food & History, January 29, 2025

Take a deep dive into Lao food intertwined with history, culture, and travel from this awesome Youtube channel, OTR Food & History.

The Race to Save Luang Prabang: A Battle Between Progress and Preservation

Source:  Robloak (August 3, 2024)

Luang Prabang became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.  However, development, investors and an influx of tourists are reshaping the town.  It's now at risk of losing its title and being delisted.  Have a look to see why that is.

Beautiful performance by a Lao traditional orchestra

Source:  World Wood Day, 2018

Back in 2018, Laos hosted the World Wood Day - an annual event held in different cities around the world by the World Wood Day Foundation.  At the event, the Lao orchestra performed using many Lao traditional musical instruments, several of which are made from wood.  Have a look.

Chinese Support for Laos: Blessing or Curse?

Source:  Sebastian Glaab, DW News (2024)

In this documentary, DW News looks into how Chinese investment into Laos is changing both the physical and economic environment in the country.  Topics covered include dams, relocated villages, shopping malls, high speed trains, poverty alleviation vs. debt.  Have a look.

A Vientiane-Pakse bus crashed, leaving 1 dead and 43 Injured in Saravan

Original title:  Bus Crash Leaves One Dead, 43 Injured
By:  KPL News, January 26, 2025

Source:  KPL News, January 26, 2025

Creating golden Lao art work

The results surprised even me.  Take a look as I gilded this wood carving that I bought in Laos almost 20 years ago into a new piece of temple inspired art work.

Miss Grand Laos 2024 national costume

Image source:  Miss Grand, 2024

Several months ago in October 2024, in an incredible costume display during the national costume portion of the Miss Grand competition, Lao contestant and Pakse native, Souksavanh Vongsomphou, came out in not just a costume but practically an entire on-stage set piece.

Landlocked - The Railroad to Laos

Source:  Andy Boreham, Reports on China, September 14, 2023

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.

AP News report from December 1975 - when everything changed in Laos

Source:  Associated Press (AP News)

In this Throwback Thursday post, we're sharing a video from Associated Press (AP News) produced on December 23, 1975 which was just 19 days after the official creation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

In 2023, the nak was accepted into the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage items

Source:  UNESCO

Back in 2023, the naga (or nak in Lao) motif was inscribed on to the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.  This was the video submission presented to UNESCO for consideration.

Vientiane celebrates New Year 2025 with a bang

By: Laoconnection.com, January 1, 2025

This year's international New Year's celebrations went beyond anything the country of Laos and its humble capitol have ever seen.  A great way to cap off Visit Laos Year 2024.