SilkAir's new route: Singapore to Vientiane & Luang Prabang

SilkAir is now flying direct to Vientiane and Luang Prabang



Care to visit the age-old Buddhist temples, French-colonial buildings and broad boulevards of Vientiane? How about the quaint ancient town of Luang Prabang, which was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1995?

It is now easier to get there with SilkAir. The regional wing of Singapore Airlines launched its inaugural flight to Vientiane and Luang Prabang, Laos, on Monday. The airline is flying to Laos on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, with same-day return, and the flights will be operated with the Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring both business and economy class cabins.

“There is an increasing interest in Laos, with more people wanting to get authentic experiences that are an escape from the usual cityscape. We see great potential in Vientiane and Luang Prabang for both leisure and business travel,” said Foo Chai Woo, chief executive of SilkAir.

“As the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir has long been the champion of a diverse range of destinations in Asia, from major cities to popular leisure spots as well as places which are relatively untouched by mass tourism.”

He added that besides Singapore, SilkAir sees a great level of interest (in Laos) from travellers from Australia/New Zealand and Europe as well as Korea. “We hope that with these flights, we can promote traffic from the region and the world, in particular from SIA’s network, to visit Laos, via Singapore.”

~News courtesy of Today Online~

AirAsia's new route: Kuala Lumpur - Luang Prabang

AirAsia creates new link to Laos



AirAsia celebrates the launch of the new route

AirAsia has expanded its connectivity in Laos with the launch of flights between Kuala Lumpur and Luang Prabang.

Marking the first direct link between the two Southeast Asian cities, the new KL service will complement AirAsia’s existing Bangkok-Luang Prabang flights, and the direct services connecting KL and Bangkok with Vientiane.

“We are very happy to be the first and only airline to connect Luang Prabang to Kuala Lumpur directly,” said AirAsia’s CEO, Aireen Omar. “We are also pleased to be the airline that connects the people of Laos to two of the main cities in ASEAN, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, which are both major AirAsia hubs.

“We want to further champion connectivity to second and third-tier cities, and help to grow the market together,” she added.

The new flights will depart KL every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 0645 and arrive in Luang Prabang at 0840. The return services then leave the UNESCO-listed Lao city at 0925 and arrive back in KL at 1330.

~News courtesy of Travel Daily Media~

Laos, Thailand enhance tourism cooperation

Laos, Thailand enhance tourism cooperation

Laos and Thailand have agreed on enhancing their cooperation in the tourism sector, aiming to jointly promote the tourism potentials of the two countries and implement the connectivity plans of Asean.



Prof. DrBosengkhamVongdara and MsKobkarnWattanavrangkul shake hands after signing the MOU.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the cooperation plan was signed yesterday in Vientiane between Lao Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Prof. DrBosengkhamVongdara and Thai Minister of Tourism and Sport, MsKobkarnWattanavrangkul.

An official from the Lao ministry's Department of International Cooperation revealed that under the MOU, the two countries will assist each other in the development of tourism products and tourism services.

They aim to connect tourism programmes through joint tourism packages and market the two countries one destination model between the two countries, as well as enhance the exchange of information in the sector.

The idea of the cooperation is to strike for the tourists who enter Laos and attract them to also visit Thailand, as well as enticing those who visit Thailand to also visit Laos, encouraging longer stays in both of the countries he said.

According to the coo peration plan, the two sides will also advertise tourism destinations, tourism products and the services of the two countries internationally, which they will do together through regional and international tourism fairs, aiming to ensure the growth and sustainability of the tourism industry in the two neighbouring countries .

The cooperation will also involve tourism management and a tourism strategic plan, while tourism businesses from the two countries will be encouraged to enhance their cooperation.

More than 2.3 million Thai people visited Laos, and around 1.5 million Lao citizens went to Thailand last year. This number of Lao people visiting Thailand was just recorded through the first Lao-Thai Friendship bridge linking Vientiane and Nongkhai, Thailand.

Our general objective is to increase tourist travel between the two countries, as well as visitors from third countries, the official said.

Thailand also proposed the enhancement of tourism links with Laos at talks between the heads of the Lao and Thai governments during an official visit of a Lao high level delegation to Thailand led by Prime Minister ThonglounSisoulith in July.

As the outcome of the talks, the two countries will work on a joint master plan on tourism to boost the number of travellers to the region.

~News courtesy of Vientiane Times~

Start collecting VAT at customs in November

Laos to start collecting VAT at customs in November

The Customs Department under Laos' Ministry of Finance will begin collecting Valued Added Tax (VAT) payments in November.

The tax will be collected at the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge between Thailand's Nong Khai province and Laos' capital Vientiane followed by the other international border crossings， Bounpaseuth Sikounlabout， acting Director General of the Customs Department was quoted by local Vientiane Times on Sunday.

Earlier， the Ministry of Finance had issued a Provision on the Levy of 10 percent VAT of Passengers' Personal Effects， which stipulates that Lao citizens or expat passengers living in Laos upon entry through border checkpoints including international airports shall pay 10 percent value VAT on their (new or used) personal effects. 

The levy of VAT is exempted for infrequent passengers who travel less than twice a month on items costing less than 50 U.S. dollars.

Frequent passengers to Laos are not exempted from VAT and will be charged accordingly. 

Passengers entering Laos shall fill in a Customs Declaration Form for Personal Effects and submit it to customs officials upon their entry into the country. 

In cases when the personal effects are new, the passenger shall attach a purchase receipt to ease and hasten the calculation of VAT.

If passengers do not have all receipts or eligible documents， or have no documents， the customs officials will have the right to evaluate items according to present circumstances to calculate VAT， reported Vientiane Times.

While the government is not expecting large sums from the VAT collections， it will help to improve revenue collection in the country and assist Laos adjust to international integration， said the report.

~News courtesy of Xinhua~

A slow boat to China

A slow boat to China



Asian cruise operator Pandaw is all set to launch the RV Laos Pandaw, a 10-cabin cruiser, on the Mekong River.

Asian cruise operator Pandaw is all set to launch the RV Laos Pandaw, a 10-cabin cruiser, on the Mekong River. 

Offering cruises on the upper and lower Mekong, the first trip through Laos, Thailand and Myanmar is sold out but bookings for its maiden excursion on the upper Mekong into China are now open. 

The expedition cover seven nights, beginning in Chiang Saen in Thailand's North. 

The journey continues and stops over along the border of Myanmar and Laos on its way to Jinhong in Yunnan Province. 

The Old Mandalay Road in Shan State, the Xiang Kok Akha Village in Laos and a tea plantation and botanical gardens are also on the itinerary. Visit www.Pandaw.com.

~News courtesy of The Nation~

Lao Song

ໜຸ່ມນາກັບສາວຫຍິບຜ້າ

New Checkpoints on Lao-Cambodian Border

New Checkpoints on Lao-Cambodian Border



Prime Minister Hun Sen met with Laos’ Prime Minister Thongloung Sisoulith yesterday at the Peace Palace. KT/ Mai Vireak

More border checkpoints will be opened between Cambodia and Laos after both countries agreed to increase bilateral trade yesterday.

The decision came after a meeting in Phnom Penh between Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Lao counterpart Thongloung Sisoulith after a series of talks related to trade, investment, tourism, illegal border crossings and cross-border peacekeeping.

More information on the new checkpoints will be released soon, assistant to the prime minister Ieng Sophalet told reporters after the meeting. He added that the new checkpoints are being created for the use of citizens from both countries to promote cross-border investment, trade and tourism.

While Mr. Sophalet would not say where the new checkpoints will be, a Foreign Ministry statement released earlier this month said one will be built in Preah Vihear province.

The checkpoint’s construction is part of a larger plan to link the two countries with a road and bridge over the Ropov River, making it easy to cross between Preah Vihear and Laos’ Pakse province.

Now the only official overland route between the neighbors is through the Voeung Kam-Dom Kralor checkpoint in Stung Treng, opposite Laos’ Pakse province.

The new border checkpoint will give residents the option of entering Laos and Cambodia respectively through legal means, Mr. Sophalet added.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Cambodia’s consul office in Stung Treng province will be open on June 30, with the Lao side opening on July 1.

Mey Kalyan, a senior advisor to the Supreme National Economic Council, said the new consul offices will help communications between Cambodia and Laos.

“In the name of neighboring countries, we have to help each other in terms of facilitating mutual trade activities,” Mr. Kalyan said. The Cambodia-Laos border is about 54 kilometers long.

Not discussed during yesterday’s meeting was Laos’ controversial Don Sahong dam, which is being built less than two kilometers upstream of the Cambodian border. Despite the government in Laos claiming the dam will have no effect on the Mekong River ecosystem or their downstream neighbors, international experts disagree.

The newly-elected prime minister of Laos is on a two-day official visit to Cambodia after taking office in April. He is set to leave the Kingdom tomorrow.

~News courtesy of Khmer Times~