Laos has taken another step toward expanding its clean energy sector by signing a USD 1.45 billion agreement with China Western Power Industrial and a Singapore-based construction firm.
The deal, announced in a stock exchange filing on 24 March, involves designing, supplying, and constructing an 1,800-megawatt clean energy power project in Xekong, southern Laos.
The project, undertaken in partnership with the province’s thermal power plant, is set for completion by early 2030, with initial designs expected to be finalized by the end of this year. However, details on the project’s energy source were not disclosed.
The Chinese company has also signed a USD 228.8 million power transmission deal with the same Lao entity on the same day.
This latest agreement follows a 2022 supply and service deal worth USD 409 million between China Western Power and another Lao power company.
Last year, Laos and China further agreed to expand a wind and solar energy base in the north of the country.
Laos has historically relied on hydropower, generating about 80 percent of its electricity from this source over the past decade.
However, efforts to scale up solar and wind energy have been ongoing. Electricity exports to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam continue to play a key role in Laos’ economic strategy.
Laos has been ranked 7th in ASEAN and 102nd in the world for education, according to the latest assessment by World Population Review.
The rankings take into account various factors, including literacy rates, educational quality, and access to learning opportunities.
Within ASEAN, Singapore secured the top spot, ranking 11th globally, followed by Brunei in second place (47th globally) and Vietnam in third (53rd globally).
Indonesia ranked fourth in ASEAN (67th globally), with the Philippines in fifth (71st globally) and Malaysia in sixth (89th globally).
Laos placed 7th in ASEAN (102nd globally), ahead of Thailand, which ranked 8th in ASEAN (107th globally). Myanmar followed in 9th place (109th globally), while Cambodia ranked last in the region at 10th place (120th globally).
The report highlights literacy rates across ASEAN, measuring the percentage of people aged 15 and above who can read and write. Laos has a literacy rate of 88 percent, placing it ahead of Cambodia and Thailand but behind most of its regional neighbors.
Brunei leads ASEAN with a literacy rate of 98 percent, followed closely by Singapore at 97 percent. The Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam each report 96 percent, while Malaysia stands at 95 percent.
Thailand follows with 94 percent, Myanmar records 89 percent, and Cambodia ranks lowest in the region at 84 percent.
A country’s literacy rate reflects the percentage of people who can read and write at a basic level. While it is a key indicator of educational development, it does not fully capture the quality of education, access to higher learning, or skill development.
Globally, South Korea claimed the top spot for education, followed by Denmark (2nd), the Netherlands (3rd), Belgium (4th), and Slovenia (5th).
The report also identified the countries with the highest literacy rates, which include Andorra, Ukraine, Cuba, Barbados, and Moldova, where nearly the entire population is literate.
Thailand Rejects Ranking
However, Thailand’s Office of the Education Council (OEC) has dismissed the recent education ranking by World Population Review, claiming that the data lacks transparency and does not reflect the current situation.
Prawit Erawan, secretary-general of the OEC, stated that the website relied on outdated information from 2021, which does not align with Thailand’s present educational landscape.
He also pointed out that Thailand’s own literacy rate assessment shows a 99 percent literacy rate, the highest in ASEAN—contradicting the ranking’s figure of 94 percent.
Lao Social Media Users Question the Ranking
Meanwhile, in Laos, social media users have expressed skepticism over the country’s higher ranking compared to Thailand. Many pointed out ongoing challenges in Laos’ education system, such as teacher shortages in rural areas and high dropout rates, which they argue remain serious issues.
“It’s impossible that Laos is ranked this high. If you survey all the universities in Laos, the quality is still lower compared to Thailand,” one commenter wrote.
“If this ranking is accurate, why do so many students keep dropping out of school? High inflation and a struggling economy are making education inaccessible for many children. We can tell what’s real and what’s not,” another user added.
Others, however, argued that education rankings go beyond just school systems.
“Education isn’t just about studying in school. In Thailand, formal education is concentrated in the central region, while many people in rural areas lack access. This ranking was done by an international website, not the Lao government,” one critic noted.
Taiwan has been named the happiest place in Asia, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report.
Ranking 27th globally, Taiwan has climbed from 31st last year, surpassing Singapore as the leading country in Asia.
Following Taiwan in the Asia rankings are Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, China, and Mongolia.
Laos, on the other hand, is ranked 93rd, just behind China (92nd) and ahead of Mongolia (94th).
Vietnam made a notable improvement this year, rising from 54th place in 2024 to 46th in 2025. Over the past five years, the country has surged nearly 40 spots, moving up from 83rd in 2020.
The World Happiness Report is a collaborative effort from leading global experts in well-being science. It is based on data from the Gallup World Poll, which measures individuals’ self-reported life evaluations, averaged over the period from 2022 to 2024. The ranking takes into account six key factors: gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.
Although the happiness ranking reflects people’s subjective assessments of their quality of life, these six factors offer deeper insights into the differences between nations, according to the report.
Laos Signs Clean Energy Deal with Chinese, Singaporean Firms
Laos has taken another step toward expanding its clean energy sector by signing a USD 1.45 billion agreement with China Western Power Industrial and a Singapore-based construction firm.
The deal, announced in a stock exchange filing on 24 March, involves designing, supplying, and constructing an 1,800-megawatt clean energy power project in Xekong, southern Laos.
The project, undertaken in partnership with the province’s thermal power plant, is set for completion by early 2030, with initial designs expected to be finalized by the end of this year. However, details on the project’s energy source were not disclosed.
The Chinese company has also signed a USD 228.8 million power transmission deal with the same Lao entity on the same day.
This latest agreement follows a 2022 supply and service deal worth USD 409 million between China Western Power and another Lao power company.
Last year, Laos and China further agreed to expand a wind and solar energy base in the north of the country.
Laos has historically relied on hydropower, generating about 80 percent of its electricity from this source over the past decade.
However, efforts to scale up solar and wind energy have been ongoing. Electricity exports to neighboring Thailand and Vietnam continue to play a key role in Laos’ economic strategy.
Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2025/03/25/laos-signs-clean-energy-deal-with-chinese-singaporean-firms/
Laos Ranks 7th in ASEAN for Education Amid Thailand’s Rejection
Laos has been ranked 7th in ASEAN and 102nd in the world for education, according to the latest assessment by World Population Review.
The rankings take into account various factors, including literacy rates, educational quality, and access to learning opportunities.
Within ASEAN, Singapore secured the top spot, ranking 11th globally, followed by Brunei in second place (47th globally) and Vietnam in third (53rd globally).
Indonesia ranked fourth in ASEAN (67th globally), with the Philippines in fifth (71st globally) and Malaysia in sixth (89th globally).
Laos placed 7th in ASEAN (102nd globally), ahead of Thailand, which ranked 8th in ASEAN (107th globally). Myanmar followed in 9th place (109th globally), while Cambodia ranked last in the region at 10th place (120th globally).
The report highlights literacy rates across ASEAN, measuring the percentage of people aged 15 and above who can read and write. Laos has a literacy rate of 88 percent, placing it ahead of Cambodia and Thailand but behind most of its regional neighbors.
Brunei leads ASEAN with a literacy rate of 98 percent, followed closely by Singapore at 97 percent. The Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam each report 96 percent, while Malaysia stands at 95 percent.
Thailand follows with 94 percent, Myanmar records 89 percent, and Cambodia ranks lowest in the region at 84 percent.
A country’s literacy rate reflects the percentage of people who can read and write at a basic level. While it is a key indicator of educational development, it does not fully capture the quality of education, access to higher learning, or skill development.
Globally, South Korea claimed the top spot for education, followed by Denmark (2nd), the Netherlands (3rd), Belgium (4th), and Slovenia (5th).
The report also identified the countries with the highest literacy rates, which include Andorra, Ukraine, Cuba, Barbados, and Moldova, where nearly the entire population is literate.
Thailand Rejects Ranking
However, Thailand’s Office of the Education Council (OEC) has dismissed the recent education ranking by World Population Review, claiming that the data lacks transparency and does not reflect the current situation.
Prawit Erawan, secretary-general of the OEC, stated that the website relied on outdated information from 2021, which does not align with Thailand’s present educational landscape.
He also pointed out that Thailand’s own literacy rate assessment shows a 99 percent literacy rate, the highest in ASEAN—contradicting the ranking’s figure of 94 percent.
Lao Social Media Users Question the Ranking
Meanwhile, in Laos, social media users have expressed skepticism over the country’s higher ranking compared to Thailand. Many pointed out ongoing challenges in Laos’ education system, such as teacher shortages in rural areas and high dropout rates, which they argue remain serious issues.
“It’s impossible that Laos is ranked this high. If you survey all the universities in Laos, the quality is still lower compared to Thailand,” one commenter wrote.
“If this ranking is accurate, why do so many students keep dropping out of school? High inflation and a struggling economy are making education inaccessible for many children. We can tell what’s real and what’s not,” another user added.
Others, however, argued that education rankings go beyond just school systems.
“Education isn’t just about studying in school. In Thailand, formal education is concentrated in the central region, while many people in rural areas lack access. This ranking was done by an international website, not the Lao government,” one critic noted.
Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2025/03/24/laos-ranks-7th-in-asean-for-education-amid-thailands-rejection/
Taiwan Becomes Asia’s Happiest Place in 2025
Taiwan has been named the happiest place in Asia, according to the 2025 World Happiness Report.
Ranking 27th globally, Taiwan has climbed from 31st last year, surpassing Singapore as the leading country in Asia.
Following Taiwan in the Asia rankings are Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, China, and Mongolia.
Laos, on the other hand, is ranked 93rd, just behind China (92nd) and ahead of Mongolia (94th).
Vietnam made a notable improvement this year, rising from 54th place in 2024 to 46th in 2025. Over the past five years, the country has surged nearly 40 spots, moving up from 83rd in 2020.
The World Happiness Report is a collaborative effort from leading global experts in well-being science. It is based on data from the Gallup World Poll, which measures individuals’ self-reported life evaluations, averaged over the period from 2022 to 2024. The ranking takes into account six key factors: gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.
Although the happiness ranking reflects people’s subjective assessments of their quality of life, these six factors offer deeper insights into the differences between nations, according to the report.
Source: https://laotiantimes.com/2025/03/24/taiwan-becomes-asias-happiest-place-in-2025/