Photo:The movie theatre at Lao-ITECC was packed to capacity when people came to see Sabaidee Luang Prabang from June 5 to 7.

Audiences packed the theatre at Lao-ITECC on June 5 to 7 to watch the film Sabaidee Luang Prabang, a Lao-Thai co-production which premiered in Laos on May 23.

The film pans the major provinces of Laos , taking in Pakxe, Vientiane and the allure of the country's biggest drawcard, the World Heritage-listed town of Luang Prabang . It describes the growing love between the two main characters, and features comic episodes that introduce a lighter touch.

The film stars Bangkok-based Lao-Australian actor Ananda Everingham as Sorn, a first-time visitor to Laos , and Ms Khamly Pallawong as Noi, his tour guide from Vientiane.

The Lao co-director, Lao Art Media president Anousone Sirisackda, said the producers were pleased with the feedback they had received from audiences and critics...more

He said Ministry of Information and Culture officials who had attended the premier at the National Culture Hall had expressed their satisfaction with the film's content and message.

“We are pleased with our achievements; this could be the new face of the Lao film industry after more than 30 years without a full-length feature production,” Mr Anousone said.

“Even though the film depicted the most significant aspects of Lao culture and lifestyle, we were sorry that time and budget constraints prevented us from making a more in-depth portrayal of Laos .” “We're not expecting to earn much from the film,” Mr Anousone said. “The main benefit of the production is the publicity that Laos will get. We'll definitely make another film, but we have to consider many factors. The good feedback we've received is a strong inspiration to do more.”

The production team is planning to screen the film to audiences in Luang Prabang, Champassak and other major provinces.

Another large crowd is expected when the film is shown at the National Culture Hall in Vientiane on June14.

Source: Vientianetimes

'Sabaidee'…First of all, I would like to ask all Thais out there for their love and support. My name is Lang-Sitthiprasert Kaewjaras. I am a 20-year-old from Laos, currently in my final year at the National University of Laos's Faculty of Economics. I am the only child in my family.

My dad is 66 years of age and his name is Dang Kaewjaras. He used to work at the Laos Ministry of Foreign Affairs before he resigned to work for Laos Airline. He has since retired. My mum, Sawatsri Kaewprasert, is now 59 years old and runs her own beauty salon. She hardly has any rest because she has so many customers!).

I never thought I would enter the entertainment business even though I had the opportunity several times in the past. I had a pretty straightforward childhood. My mum tells me I wasn't any trouble when she took me to the temple on Buddhist holy days. A lot of people came and talked to me when my mum took me out as I looked different, as if I were half-foreign...more news and photos>>


I think I am tall because I liked drinking milk. My mum says I hardly drank water, only milk and milk. She says that I drank several liters of milk a day. I was lucky to enjoy drinking milk, otherwise I would have been much shorter than this!



I never thought I would enter the entertainment business even though I had the opportunity several times in the past. I had a pretty straightforward childhood. My mum tells me I wasn't any trouble when she took me to the temple on Buddhist holy days. A lot of people came and talked to me when my mum took me out as I looked different, as if I were half-foreign.





I think I am tall because I liked drinking milk. My mum says I hardly drank water, only milk and milk. She says that I drank several liters of milk a day. I was lucky to enjoy drinking milk, otherwise I would have been much shorter than this!

Source: http://whoweeklymagazine.com

The saying goes that if the hard-working Vietnamese sew the rice, Cambodia's creative types would plant it in pretty rows, while their relaxed Laotian neighbours watch it grow. And nowhere is this south-east Asian stereotype truer than in Laos.

From lazy trips down the Mekong to sipping green tea against the backdrop of crumbling post-French grandeur in Luang Prabang, this rural gem of a country offers you the chance to step back and unwind on an active holiday with a supremely laid-back twist... more

Cross the Mekong from Chiang Khong in northern Thailand to Huay Xai and you can get a two-week visa on arrival, or you can arrange a month's stay before you leave Thailand. It will be two days on the slow boat with an overnight stop before you reach Luang Prabang, but well worth the effort. What this journey lacks in comfort - more than you can imagine - it certainly makes up for in scenery. Moody grey-brown waters carry you relentlessly forward through Laos' green hills.

However, if you would rather reach Laos in more comfort, a flight from Bangkok is the easiest way. Thai Airways and Lao Airlines will get you to the capital Vientiane in little over an hour.

It is hard to imagine a town more perfect than Luang Prabang. The elegant simplicity of the Buddhist temples stand in stark contrast to their golden counterparts in Thailand or India, and the crumbling opulence of the French era leaves a stylish atmosphere you will struggle to find elsewhere in Asia. Foodies should head down to the river where there is a great BBQ joint. Be bold, for this is the place to try buffalo, chicken's feet and all manner of insect-related delicacies.

The breathtaking Kuang Si waterfalls are about 40 minutes drive south of town and you can get a lift with a tour guide. Threeland Travel are most helpful, or alternatively you can take a local tuk-tuk at break-neck speed down a dirt track road to this postcard from paradise.

After a surreal walk through a mini zoo, you will find perfect blue-green lagoons for swimming and several tiers of waterfalls to play with. If you fancy yourself as a Herbal Essences lady, then test your endurance under one of the falls - you will not last long.

From Luang Prabang let the adventure take you to Phonsavanh and the plain of jars. The clue is in the name here and you can expect hundreds and hundreds of huge stone jars of disputed origin. Some believe they were used as burial sites, others that they were used to store rice wine - something of a national obsession.

Having tried this potent spirit, you may not want to imagine a container this size full of it, particularly since your guide is likely to have offered up a swig at breakfast time. You should note that a tour guide is needed for this trip and you should not stray from marked paths as Uncle Sam bombed the area heavily during the Vietnam War leaving a disastrous amount of unexploded ordnance as his legacy. Stone Henge this is not, but it is well worth a look.

From Phonsavanh, whether your active holiday takes you south to the 4,000 islands of Si Phan Don or west to the limestone peaks of Vang Vieng, count on two things: the omnipresent Mekong and natural treasures untold.

For more information on visiting Laos see the official Laos tourism website and the travelbite country guide.

Amy Morris
Source: www.travelbite.co.uk

Progress announced on two more Thai-Lao bridges

BANGKOK, April 17 (TNA) - Thailand and Laos affirm that no obstacles will be encountered in building the third and fourth Thai-Lao 'friendhip' bridges respectively. Both will be completed in 2011 as planned.

Thai Foreign Minister Nitya Pibulsonggram met Lao Deputy Prime Minister Thonglun Sisulid regarding the progress of the bridges construction at his office in Bangkok.

The third bridge will connect Thailand's northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom with Thakhek in Laos' Khammuan province. The fourth bridge will connect Chiang Mai's Chiangkhong with Huayxai district in the Lao province of Borkaew... more info :.

Following the talk, a spokesperson of the Lao Foreign Affairs Ministry said Thailand will contribute half the construction cost of the Chiang Mai-Borkaew bridge, and Laos has sought a Chinese government loan for the balance.

China's President Hu Jintao earlier confirmed his government's readiness to provide financial support, according to the Lao spokesperson.

Thailand requested nine more months to complete the bridge design, after which construction will begin, and will take about four years.

Laos considers the northern bridge as very important because it connects Chiang Rai and Kunming, a highly important road link for Asean countries in the future.

As for the southern Thai-Lao bridge, land must still be expropriated on the Thai side, but can be done soon, the Lao spokesperson said.

Pending settlement, construction is expected to start at the end of this year or early next year, and is likely to be completed before the fourth bridge.

Tharit Jarungwat, spokesman of Thailand's Foreign Affairs Ministry, said that the Lao Foreign Minister had invited his Thai counterpart to visit Laos and participate in a meeting of the Thai-Lao joint committee.

The Lao government will host the next construction progress report meeting.(TNA)

Source: MCOT