News
Floods damage Vientiane rice crop
Farmers in two districts of Vientiane are unable to replant their rice after seedlings in thousands of low-lying plots recently disappeared under floodwater. Parts of Sangthong and Naxaithong districts were inundated following torrential rain earlier this month and farmers are dismayed because they say it is ...
Mekong Hospital opens in Vientiane
The privately-owned Mekong Hospital in Saphangmuek village, Xaythany district, Vientiane, opened its doors to the public on 15 August. Hospital Director Mr Huangsubin said the Mekong Hospital will not only treat illnesses but will investigate the prevention of disease and carry out research, while also providing ...
Vietnamese companies to mine rock salt in Khammuan, Laos
Two Vietnamese companies have inked a deal for a joint venture rock salt mining project in Khammuan province, Laos, with an engineering, procurement and construction contract signed in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 14 August. Vietnam Chemical Group and Vietnam Lao Chemical and Rock Salt Limited Company signed ...
Flooded religious sites to be restored
Flood-hit religious sites and monuments will soon be mucked out and repaired following a damage assessment, religious affairs officials said. A tally of losses, displaced monks and swamped pagodas was started on 11 August by a 16-member committee under the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Keep reading ...
Seeds scarce as replanting begins
Disaster zones in Rakhine State urgently need paddy seeds, said a civil society organisation based in the state. U Thein Win, a member of the Wunlark Rural Development Foundation in Sittwe, said local farmers had to cultivate more paddy this month. Keep reading ...
Pruksa raises forecast for year's growth in Bangkok property sector
The property market in Greater Bangkok is expected to remain in good shape, with SET-listed Pruksa Real Estate Plc revising up its growth forecast to 15% growth this year from 10% projected in May. Keep reading ...
Cambodian opposition senator faces up to 17 years in prison for Facebook post
A Cambodian opposition senator could be jailed for 17 years after a court charged him on 16 August over the posting of a disputed document on social media about the border with Vietnam. Senator Hong Sok Hour was arrested on 15 August. Keep reading ...
Phu Quoc forests, farm lands may have to give way for casino, resort
Authorities in the southern province of Kien Giang are seeking the government’s permission to allocate more than 2,000 hectares of farm and forest land in Phu Quoc for tourism projects. Keep reading ...
Study links polluted air in China to 1.6 million deaths a year
Outdoor air pollution contributes to the deaths of an estimated 1.6 million people in China every year, or about 4,400 people a day, according to a newly released scientific paper. The paper maps the geographic sources of China’s toxic air and concludes that much of the smog that ...
Myanmar halts rice exports as floods hit crop
Myanmar halted rice shipments after floods over the past month inundated farmland, raising the specter of supply disruptions in the sixth-biggest exporter. The Myanmar Rice Federation voluntarily suspended exports to prevent an increase in prices after more than 200,000 acres (about 81,000 hectares) of paddy fields ...
