Vientiane’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system relaunched its trial operations today, 10 March, offering free rides to encourage residents to embrace the capital’s revamped public transport service.
According to the Vientiane Capital Public Works and Transport Department, the two-month trial phase runs from 10 March to 9 May, during which all passengers may ride free of charge.
Normal fares will take effect from 10 May onwards.
The BRT will operate daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. During peak hours, 6:00 to 9:00 AM and 4:00 to 6:00 PM, buses will run every six to seven minutes. Outside of peak hours, passengers can expect a waiting time of 10 to 15 minutes.
The trial route connects Dongdok (National University of Laos) to Talat Sao (Morning Market), spanning 19 stations. Key stops along the corridor include the SEA Games Dormitory, 450 Years Road, View Mall, SOS School, the Kaysone Phomvihane Museum, ICTC Center, Phonphanao, Phonkheng, and Patuxay.
To ensure smooth and safe operations, the BRT runs on a dedicated lane reserved exclusively for BRT buses during service hours. All other vehicles are prohibited from using the lane between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM and will be warned and fined for violations.
Exceptions are also made for ambulances, fire trucks, rescue vehicles, and government convoys with official police escorts.
Between 10:01 PM and 5:59 AM, other vehicles may use the BRT lane provided it is safe to do so. Any party responsible for damage to government property within the BRT lane will be fined 10 percent of the assessed damage value and must cover the remaining repair costs.
Authorities have confirmed that the BRT system is now fully operational. This marks the second trial launch of the project, following an initial launch in early November 2024 that was suspended after approximately one month.
https://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2P0A9651.png.jpg6271200Soutsada Xaphouvonghttps://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webpSoutsada Xaphouvong2026-03-16 09:23:002026-03-27 11:30:10Vientiane Re-Launches BRT Service with Two Months of Free Rides
Laos is preparing to put some of its most beloved traditions and landscapes before the world, with the government announcing plans to seek UNESCO recognition for five cultural practices and three landmark sites over the next five years.
The nominations form part of the broader 10th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan, but the cultural ambitions stand on their own.
The Traditions on the List
The five traditions being put forward for UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list are part of daily and ceremonial Lao life.
First, the national dish, Larb, which carries its meaning in its name, “luck” and “wealth” in Lao, and appears at every significant moment in Lao life, from weddings and birthdays to the Lao New Year. The Lao Business Women’s Association pushed the nomination forward, submitting a formal proposal through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in early 2025. A UNESCO decision is expected in September 2026.
If approved, Larb would become Laos’ fourth UNESCO-recognised cultural element, joining traditional dance Fonelamvong Lao (2024), Naga motif weaving (2023), and Khaen music (2017).
Closely tied to those same celebrations is the Sou Khuan ceremony, also known as the Baci, which has also been submitted for consideration.
Rooted in animist beliefs and practiced alongside Buddhism, the ritual is built around the idea that each person has 32 protective spirits, or khouan, which can leave the body during illness, travel, or major life changes. Elders chant blessings around a decorative offering arrangement called a pha khouan, and white cotton strings are tied around participants’ wrists as symbols of protection and unity. It is performed at weddings, births, the Lao New Year, and other milestones.
The nomination has been submitted, but the formal evaluation process has not yet begun.
Rounding out the intangible heritage nominations are Pou Yer – Ya Yer, the mythical grandparents of Lao New Year; Boun Pi Mai Lao itself; and Khao Tom–Khao Lam, the preparation of sticky rice dishes carrying deep ritual and communal significance.
The Sites
Alongside the living traditions, three physical sites are being put forward for World Heritage status, each significant in its own way.
Nakai-Nam Theun National Park, one of the largest protected areas in Southeast Asia, is home to some of the region’s most endangered species across a landscape of extraordinary ecological diversity.
Further north, the Hintang Archaeological Park in Houaphanh Province holds hundreds of ancient stone menhirs whose origins remain only partially understood, lending the site a sense of mystery that matches its cultural weight.
The third site, That Ing Hang in Savannakhet Province, is among the most sacred Buddhist monuments in the country. Built in 1560 by King Setthathirath of the Lan Xang kingdom on the site of a pre-existing Khmer temple, the stupa is believed to enshrine a relic of the Buddha’s collarbone. Its architecture reflects both Lao and Khmer influences, and it has drawn pilgrims for centuries. Restored significantly in the 19th century, it remains an active place of worship today.
UNESCO inscription brings legal frameworks for protection, international funding, and a level of visibility that can change how a place or practice is preserved for generations.
The nominations are expected to be developed and submitted across the 2026–2030 period.
https://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Savannakhet-Sets-Stage-for-Biggest-Ever-That-Ing-Hang-Festival-1.jpg6271200Soutsada Xaphouvonghttps://www.tourismlaos.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Lao-Simply-Beautiful-.webpSoutsada Xaphouvong2026-03-15 09:03:002026-03-13 09:55:04Laos to Nominate Five Traditions, Three Sites for UNESCO Status
Bounloth Sodaluck grew up watching rural families in Xayaboury Province struggle to find medical care for their children. Now, decades later, she leads the only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in northern Laos and has just become the first Lao national to win the Women of the Future Southeast Asia Award in the Professions category.
“This award is for the hospital and our team, who are dedicated to saving kids’ lives,” she said.
It is International Women’s Day, and if there is a story worth telling today in Laos, it is probably hers.
Dr. Pom, as she is known, did not come from a family of doctors or a city with good hospitals. After finishing high school in Xayaboury, she earned a place at the University of Health Sciences in Vientiane. Her focus sharpened during clinical rotations at Lao Friends Hospital for Children in Luang Prabang, where she noticed something that would later mark her entire career.
“Children are not good at telling us how they feel, so we need to pay attention,” she says.
She never left.
This year, LFHC marked its 11th anniversary, and Dr. Pom marked it by leading the team that built the hospital’s first PICU, a unit that now handles the region’s most critically ill children, many arriving from remote provinces with few other options.
The hospital has operated for eleven years on entirely private funding, offering completely free care to every child who comes through its doors.
Beyond the ward, Dr. Pom works as Medical Education Director, training junior Lao doctors and interns with skills she developed through additional study in Vientiane and Thailand.
“If I can give my students the tools and confidence to treat sick children, my impact will multiply,” she says.
Women in Laos have been moving into medicine, law, and public life for years now, often without much noise about it.
But the path is rarely straightforward, especially for women from rural areas, where getting to university at all can depend on factors that have nothing to do with ability.
Vientiane Re-Launches BRT Service with Two Months of Free Rides
Vientiane’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system relaunched its trial operations today, 10 March, offering free rides to encourage residents to embrace the capital’s revamped public transport service.
According to the Vientiane Capital Public Works and Transport Department, the two-month trial phase runs from 10 March to 9 May, during which all passengers may ride free of charge.
Normal fares will take effect from 10 May onwards.
The BRT will operate daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. During peak hours, 6:00 to 9:00 AM and 4:00 to 6:00 PM, buses will run every six to seven minutes. Outside of peak hours, passengers can expect a waiting time of 10 to 15 minutes.
The trial route connects Dongdok (National University of Laos) to Talat Sao (Morning Market), spanning 19 stations. Key stops along the corridor include the SEA Games Dormitory, 450 Years Road, View Mall, SOS School, the Kaysone Phomvihane Museum, ICTC Center, Phonphanao, Phonkheng, and Patuxay.
To ensure smooth and safe operations, the BRT runs on a dedicated lane reserved exclusively for BRT buses during service hours. All other vehicles are prohibited from using the lane between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM and will be warned and fined for violations.
Exceptions are also made for ambulances, fire trucks, rescue vehicles, and government convoys with official police escorts.
Between 10:01 PM and 5:59 AM, other vehicles may use the BRT lane provided it is safe to do so. Any party responsible for damage to government property within the BRT lane will be fined 10 percent of the assessed damage value and must cover the remaining repair costs.
Authorities have confirmed that the BRT system is now fully operational. This marks the second trial launch of the project, following an initial launch in early November 2024 that was suspended after approximately one month.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2026/03/10/vientiane-re-launches-brt-service-with-two-months-of-free-rides/
Laos to Nominate Five Traditions, Three Sites for UNESCO Status
Laos is preparing to put some of its most beloved traditions and landscapes before the world, with the government announcing plans to seek UNESCO recognition for five cultural practices and three landmark sites over the next five years.
The nominations form part of the broader 10th Five-Year National Socio-Economic Development Plan, but the cultural ambitions stand on their own.
The Traditions on the List
The five traditions being put forward for UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list are part of daily and ceremonial Lao life.
First, the national dish, Larb, which carries its meaning in its name, “luck” and “wealth” in Lao, and appears at every significant moment in Lao life, from weddings and birthdays to the Lao New Year. The Lao Business Women’s Association pushed the nomination forward, submitting a formal proposal through the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in early 2025. A UNESCO decision is expected in September 2026.
If approved, Larb would become Laos’ fourth UNESCO-recognised cultural element, joining traditional dance Fonelamvong Lao (2024), Naga motif weaving (2023), and Khaen music (2017).
Closely tied to those same celebrations is the Sou Khuan ceremony, also known as the Baci, which has also been submitted for consideration.
Rooted in animist beliefs and practiced alongside Buddhism, the ritual is built around the idea that each person has 32 protective spirits, or khouan, which can leave the body during illness, travel, or major life changes. Elders chant blessings around a decorative offering arrangement called a pha khouan, and white cotton strings are tied around participants’ wrists as symbols of protection and unity. It is performed at weddings, births, the Lao New Year, and other milestones.
The nomination has been submitted, but the formal evaluation process has not yet begun.
Rounding out the intangible heritage nominations are Pou Yer – Ya Yer, the mythical grandparents of Lao New Year; Boun Pi Mai Lao itself; and Khao Tom–Khao Lam, the preparation of sticky rice dishes carrying deep ritual and communal significance.
The Sites
Alongside the living traditions, three physical sites are being put forward for World Heritage status, each significant in its own way.
Nakai-Nam Theun National Park, one of the largest protected areas in Southeast Asia, is home to some of the region’s most endangered species across a landscape of extraordinary ecological diversity.
Further north, the Hintang Archaeological Park in Houaphanh Province holds hundreds of ancient stone menhirs whose origins remain only partially understood, lending the site a sense of mystery that matches its cultural weight.
The third site, That Ing Hang in Savannakhet Province, is among the most sacred Buddhist monuments in the country. Built in 1560 by King Setthathirath of the Lan Xang kingdom on the site of a pre-existing Khmer temple, the stupa is believed to enshrine a relic of the Buddha’s collarbone. Its architecture reflects both Lao and Khmer influences, and it has drawn pilgrims for centuries. Restored significantly in the 19th century, it remains an active place of worship today.
UNESCO inscription brings legal frameworks for protection, international funding, and a level of visibility that can change how a place or practice is preserved for generations.
The nominations are expected to be developed and submitted across the 2026–2030 period.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2026/03/04/laos-to-nominate-five-traditions-three-sites-for-unesco-status/
Lao Woman Builds Northern Laos’ First Pediatric ICU, Wins Regional Award
Bounloth Sodaluck grew up watching rural families in Xayaboury Province struggle to find medical care for their children. Now, decades later, she leads the only Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in northern Laos and has just become the first Lao national to win the Women of the Future Southeast Asia Award in the Professions category.
“This award is for the hospital and our team, who are dedicated to saving kids’ lives,” she said.
It is International Women’s Day, and if there is a story worth telling today in Laos, it is probably hers.
Dr. Pom, as she is known, did not come from a family of doctors or a city with good hospitals. After finishing high school in Xayaboury, she earned a place at the University of Health Sciences in Vientiane. Her focus sharpened during clinical rotations at Lao Friends Hospital for Children in Luang Prabang, where she noticed something that would later mark her entire career.
“Children are not good at telling us how they feel, so we need to pay attention,” she says.
She never left.
This year, LFHC marked its 11th anniversary, and Dr. Pom marked it by leading the team that built the hospital’s first PICU, a unit that now handles the region’s most critically ill children, many arriving from remote provinces with few other options.
The hospital has operated for eleven years on entirely private funding, offering completely free care to every child who comes through its doors.
Beyond the ward, Dr. Pom works as Medical Education Director, training junior Lao doctors and interns with skills she developed through additional study in Vientiane and Thailand.
“If I can give my students the tools and confidence to treat sick children, my impact will multiply,” she says.
Women in Laos have been moving into medicine, law, and public life for years now, often without much noise about it.
But the path is rarely straightforward, especially for women from rural areas, where getting to university at all can depend on factors that have nothing to do with ability.
source: https://laotiantimes.com/2026/03/08/lao-woman-builds-northern-laos-first-pediatric-icu-wins-regional-award/