News

Vietnam and the EU have reached a framework agreement on the creation of a free trade zone under which almost all customs barriers between the partners will be eliminated.   The deal, which follows two and one-half years of talks, will once fully implemented remove nearly all ...

After Quang Ninh province’s worst torrential rains in four decades, residents still face lingering danger. Toxic run-off from an open-pit coal mine left a trail of contamination, from local streams to the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site whose islets attract more than 1 ...

Thailand’s economic growth slowed in the second quarter as improving government spending and tourism failed to counter weak local demand and exports, with the outlook clouded by drought and the yuan’s devaluation. Gross domestic product gained 2.8 percent in the three months through June from a ...

Salaries in Thailand are expected to go up by 5.9 per cent in 2015, according to global consulting firm Mercer in its recently released annual labour market research. Keep reading   ...

Vietnam saw a trade deficit of over three billion U.S. dollars with China in July, bringing the figure in the first seven months of 2015 to hit some 19.3 billion U.S. dollars, said Vietnam Customs on 17 August.   Keep reading ...

People in Vietnam hope Thailand will reconsider its plan to divert water from the Mekong, because it would seriously affect their ability to produce food. The Mekong Delta is Vietnam’s most important agricultural area. Each year, the area produces the most rice and fruit in the country. This region ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...