Country
Laos

October 04, 2022
Report Claims 700 Malaysians Held for Ransom in Lao SEZ
By Sebastian Strangio
The report is just the latest case of alleged human trafficking to have emerged in the Mekong region over the past year.

September 26, 2022
Lao Authorities Seize Another Huge Shipment of Methamphetamine
By Sebastian Strangio
The country's four largest meth seizures on record have come over the past 15 months – striking evidence of the scale of the recent Mekong drug production boom.

August 31, 2022
Ratings Agency Announces Pending Withdrawal of Rating for Laos
By Sebastian Strangio
The decision by the Fitch ratings agency testifies to the depth and unpredictability of the country's current economic crisis.

July 22, 2022
Why Vietnam Should be Worried About Laos’ Economic Crisis
By Khang Vu
The country's travails could deepen China's influence and destabilize the longstanding alliance between Hanoi and Vientiane.

July 06, 2022
Inflation in Laos Reaches 22-Year High as Economic Crisis Worsens
By Sebastian Strangio
Ordinary people are struggling to keep pace with precipitous increases in the price of petrol, cooking oil, and other basic necessities.

June 28, 2022
Laos Is On the Brink of Sovereign Bankruptcy
By Luke Hunt
Debt, wealth inequality, and corruption will keep the country poor.

June 23, 2022
In Laos, Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh Is In Trouble
By David Hutt
Since he took the reins last year, the country's economy has entered a downward economic spiral with no clear end in sight.

June 03, 2022
Fuel Shortages Threatens Rural Crisis in Laos
By Sebastian Strangio
A candid report in a sedate state-run newspaper hints at the seriousness of the country’s economic problems.

May 31, 2022
What’s Causing the Currency Crisis in Laos?
By James Guild
Mounting foreign liabilities and thin foreign exchange reserves have left the nation of 7 million acutely vulnerable to global financial shocks.

May 11, 2022
Lao Economy Grinding to a Halt as Fuel Crisis Deepens
By Sebastian Strangio
A plummeting currency, dwindling foreign reserves, and a spike in global oil prices have led to shortages across the country.

April 29, 2022
Laos Pushes Forward With Seventh Mekong River Dam Project
By Sebastian Strangio
The Phou Ngoy dam is one of nine hydropower projects that the Lao government is planning on the mainstream of the Mekong River.

March 30, 2022
Golden Triangle Gambling Zone the World’s ‘Worst’ SEZ, Group Says
By Sebastian Strangio
The Golden Triangle SEZ has been credibly accused of involvement in human trafficking, narcotics smuggling, and the trade in endangered wildlife products.