Get the latest Southeast Asian business news delivered to your inbox every weekday.
Choose to receive our daily editions covering Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand individually or together: account settings.
The Memo is published each weekday for the country of your choice. Paid subscriptions receive full editions while free subscribers get top headlines and an abbreviated selection of stories.
Support us and unlock unlimited access by becoming a paid subscriber today to stay informed on emerging opportunities in Southeast Asia with just a few minutes a day.
The Mekong Memo is proudly presented by:
Horton International is your premier partner for executive search in Southeast Asia. Whether you're a small startup or a global corporation, our reliable and effective recruiting solutions are tailored to meet your unique needs. With extensive experience and offices across the region, we excel at overcoming recruitment challenges and securing top talent for your organization.
Click here to learn how Horton can make your life easier.
Headlines:
Gov't Shakes Up Ministries
Party Grabs Control of Media
Laos Doubles Down on China Ties
Vietnam, Laos Improve Media Cooperation
UK Joins Mekong Climate Fight
VN Halts Single-Stop Border Check
$70M Road Upgrade Kicks Off
Major Provinces Face Water Crisis
Chinese EV Maker Goes Bankrupt
New Pension Requires 25 Years
Gov't Defends Telecom "Security Fee"
Houaphanh Cracks Down on Gold Mining
Secret Tobacco Deal Cost Laos $140M
Activist Attacked in France
Gov't Shakes Up Ministries
The government just ran a little government shake-up, cutting the number of Ministries from 16 down to 13. Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone is behind the reorganization, which will merge some units including Planning and Investment with Finance, Agriculture and Forestry with Environment, and Energy and Mines with Industry and Commerce. The Ministry of Home Affairs was dissolved completely. A few new faces are in top spots, including Thongsalith Mangnomek heading Education and Sports, Linkham Duangsavanh running Agriculture and Environment, and Bounkham Vorachit taking over as the Bank of Lao PDR Governor. The restructuring, approved by the National Assembly, comes near the end of the current government's term (2021-2025), as it gets ready to plan the country's 2026-2030 development.
Read more: Laotian Times
Party Grabs Control of Media
The ruling party is tightening its grip on the media. Oversight of all news has been transferred from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism directly to the Party Central Committee's Propaganda and Training Board. The change affects five major media players: the Media Department, Lao News Agency, Lao National Television, Lao National Radio, and foreign language press operations. With its media duties gone, the ministry has been renamed the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Read more: Laotian Times
Laos Doubles Down on China Ties
Laos is going all-in on its partnership with China. The focus is on railways, agriculture, mining, tourism, and finance. It's a marriage made of complementary strengths: China brings the capital, experience, and technology, Laos offers up natural resources and development potential. The partnership was a primary theme at the recent 9th China-South Asia Expo (June 19-24, 2025), which brought together more than 1,400 companies from 54 countries and regions.
Read more: Bastille Post
Vietnam, Laos Improve Media Cooperation
During recent meetings in Vientiane, top Lao officials, including Foreign Affairs Minister Thongsavanh Phomvihane and Party Central Committee member Khamphanh Pheuyavong, praised the Vietnamese press as a bridge between the two countries. They say, among other things, they want better information sharing, and tools to better combat misinformation.
Read more: Vietnam News (Media Collaboration), Vietnam Plus (Bilateral Relations)
UK Joins Mekong Climate Fight
The United Kingdom is now the 15th development partner for the Mekong River Commission. British Ambassador Mel Barlow says the intention is to support climate adaptation and biodiversity protection. The UK is expected to bring technical expertise in water governance and climate science.
Read more: Laotian Times
VN Halts Single-Stop Border Check
The Vietnamese Government has hit the brakes on the "single-window, single-stop" inspection process at the Lao Bao (Vietnam) – Densavan (Laos) international border gate. As the two countries figure out how to best manage their shared border more generally, Vietnam’s Quang Tri province is working with Laos' Savannakhet province to manage border operations under their 2016 Vietnam-Laos Border Management Agreement.
Read more: Vietnam Plus
$70M Road Upgrade Kicks Off
The government has begun off a USD 70 million project to upgrade National Road 13 South, running 50 kilometers between Vientiane Capital and Borikhamxay Province. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is footing most of the bill with a USD 40 million loan, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development is chipping in USD 20 million and the Lao government contributing USD 12 million. The first 20 kilometers will be widened to four lanes, the remaining 30 kilometers will be re-done to handle heavier trucks. Construction is expected to take three years, followed by a 7-year maintenance phase.
Read more: Laotian Times
Major Provinces Face Water Crisis
Two of the country's major provinces are facing serious water shortages as demand blows past supply. In Champasack, the water plant can only make 15,000 cubic meters a day, but residents need 25,000. It's even worse in Vientiane, where current production is 348,000 cubic meters against a daily demand of 520,000 cubic meters. Unpredictable weather and frequent storms are making things worse by affecting water filtration systems. The government is responding with infrastructure, including a new treatment plant in Dok Kham village and expanding the Chinaimo facility to produce 40,000 cubic meters daily, while at the same time promoting water conservation.
Read more: Laotian Times
Chinese EV Maker Goes Bankrupt
The parent company of Chinese EV maker Neta has filed for bankruptcy after a creditor petition for more than CNY 5.3 million in unpaid debt, with total liabilities of more than CNY 10 billion. The collapse is creating chaos for customers and dealers. In Laos, owners are worried about service, while in Thailand, the company's footprint has already been reduced from 60 to 40 dealerships. The bankruptcy filing has started the clock on a six-month window for reorganization, with liquidation threatening customer and dealer support networks. A spare parts shortage is already causing repair delays.
Read more: Laotian Times
New Pension Requires 25 Years
Laos has new pension regulations starting June 2, 2025, and the biggest change is a 25-year minimum contribution before full benefits ca be had. The retirement age is now set at 57-60 for men and 55-60 for women (there are some exceptions - find those this the article). Workers with 23-24 years of contributions can still get a partial pension with a 1% reduction for every year they’re short of the 25. Anyone who doesn't qualify for a pension can receive a one-time lump-sum payment.
Read more: Laotian Times
Gov't Defends Telecom "Security Fee"
The government has made a clarification about a controversial LAK 3,000 (USD 0.14) monthly telecom "security fee" that’s been applied to mobile numbers, after a viral video caused an outcry. Palinya Phommaviseth from the Ministry of Technology and Communications said the fee will fund national telecommunications infrastructure development including cybersecurity needs. The money will help set up a “cyber security alert center” and develop digital professionals. The program continues to have credibility challenges.
Read more: Laotian Times
Houaphanh Cracks Down on Gold Mining
Xiengkhor district authorities in Houaphanh province are cracking down on gold mining. After Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone spoke out about the issue, the province put a complete ban on gold mining including a permanent suspension of gold ore mining permits and immediate closure of unauthorized operations. All mining machinery has to be removed, and local villages will be held accountable if they allow illegal mining to continue. The ban also extends to gold, stone, and sand extraction in rivers and streams to protect the environment.
Read more: Laotian Times
Secret Tobacco Deal Cost Laos $140M
A 2001 confidential contract between Imperial Brands and the Lao government set up Lao Tobacco Ltd. as a joint venture with extraordinary concessions that have subsequently cost Laos an estimated $140 million in lost tax revenue. The deal included a 25-year tax freeze on cigarettes, resulting in some of the world's lowest cigarette prices and is in violation of global tobacco control treaty principles. The ownership structure gave Imperial 34%, the government 47%, and the remaining shares held by a Singapore-based company connected to Sithat Xaysoulivong, a relative of former president Bounnhang Vorachit. This arrangement helped fuel a social environment where 37% of all Lao men now smoke. The current prime minister has suggested the contract will not be renewed.
Read more: Pulitzer Center
Activist Attacked in France
An apparent assassination attempt occurred on June 14 in Pau, France, targeting Laotian activist Joseph Akaravong, who leads a following of 600,000 on Facebook. The victim survived multiple stab wounds to his throat and torso. We won’t write more about the details here, for reasons that may become clear on reading the article. French authorities continue to investigate.
Read more: The Diplomat
That’s all for this week, thanks for reading.
Your voice matters to us. Feel we're missing something? Have additional sources to suggest? Don't hold back— hit reply and help us get better.
If you value the Mekong Memo, please consider buying (or gifting!) a paid subscription, sharing it on social media or forwarding this email to someone who might enjoy it. Please also “like” this newsletter by clicking the ❤️ below (or sometimes above, depending on the platform), which helps us get visibility on the Substack network.