Miss SEA Games 2009 are waiting for you in Laos !

The final selection of 100 Ms SEA Games representatives will take
place on Friday at the National Culture Hall in Vientiane.

More than 200 girls have applied to the contest, but only 100 will be
chosen for the role.

Eleven country placard bearers will be selected from the 100
representatives to take part in the stadium parade that precedes the
games, which will be held next December in Vientiane.

The 100 selected participants will introduce themselves to the public
for the first time at Patuxay Monument at the start of the countdown
to the SEA Games, which will begin on New Year's Eve.

Organising sub-committee member, Mr Sopha Inthavong, said nationwide
applications opened at the end of July, and the three-part selection
process would culminate in the announcement this Friday.

Applicants were required to be Lao citizens, aged between 18 and 25,
and have a pleasant personality and good manners.

Participants also had to be single and be communicative, intelligent,
knowledgeable, talented and able to speak English.

Before the candidates were presented yesterday to the organising
committee at the National Culture Hall, they received training in
social etiquette and ceremonial presentation. Mr Sopha, who is also
one of the trainers, said training would continue after the selection
process.

“After their selection, the 100 Ms SEA Games representatives will
return to the National Culture Hall stage, where they will practise
how to nop (perform the traditional greeting), stand and act in a
socially appropriate manner,” Mr Sopha said.

He said those who were selected would also learn how to speak English
and take part in various activities, such as visiting important sites
in Vientiane like That Luang and the Hor Phra Keo museum.

They will be trained by staff who will give them suggestions on the
wearing of traditional clothes and tennis dress, before their public
presentation on December 31.

They will also learn how to dance to a selection of songs and rhythm,
and be guided in their choice of clothes.

An 18-year-old participant in the contest, Ms Soudaphone Tilakhoun,
who attends Pakpasak Technical School , said she was persuaded by her
friend to apply. She is hopeful of being selected in the group of 100
on Friday.

“ Laos will host the SEA Games for the first time, and I wanted to
play a part in serving the nation,” she said. “As a Lao girl I want to
give other people an insight into Lao culture, both in Laos and
overseas.”

Another participant, Ms Bouasavanh Phanthamit, 18, from Luang Prabang,
who studies at Rattana Business Administration College , said she too
wanted to serve her country while building her confidence.

“Actually I'm shy and never thought I could take part in the selection
process, but I've discovered I'm confident enough to go through with
it,” she said.

By Vientiane Times

Miss SEA Games 2009 are waiting for you in Laos !

The final selection of 100 Ms SEA Games representatives will take
place on Friday at the National Culture Hall in Vientiane.

More than 200 girls have applied to the contest, but only 100 will be
chosen for the role.

Eleven country placard bearers will be selected from the 100
representatives to take part in the stadium parade that precedes the
games, which will be held next December in Vientiane.

The 100 selected participants will introduce themselves to the public
for the first time at Patuxay Monument at the start of the countdown
to the SEA Games, which will begin on New Year's Eve.

Organising sub-committee member, Mr Sopha Inthavong, said nationwide
applications opened at the end of July, and the three-part selection
process would culminate in the announcement this Friday.

Applicants were required to be Lao citizens, aged between 18 and 25,
and have a pleasant personality and good manners.

Participants also had to be single and be communicative, intelligent,
knowledgeable, talented and able to speak English.

Before the candidates were presented yesterday to the organising
committee at the National Culture Hall, they received training in
social etiquette and ceremonial presentation. Mr Sopha, who is also
one of the trainers, said training would continue after the selection
process.

“After their selection, the 100 Ms SEA Games representatives will
return to the National Culture Hall stage, where they will practise
how to nop (perform the traditional greeting), stand and act in a
socially appropriate manner,” Mr Sopha said.

He said those who were selected would also learn how to speak English
and take part in various activities, such as visiting important sites
in Vientiane like That Luang and the Hor Phra Keo museum.

They will be trained by staff who will give them suggestions on the
wearing of traditional clothes and tennis dress, before their public
presentation on December 31.

They will also learn how to dance to a selection of songs and rhythm,
and be guided in their choice of clothes.

An 18-year-old participant in the contest, Ms Soudaphone Tilakhoun,
who attends Pakpasak Technical School , said she was persuaded by her
friend to apply. She is hopeful of being selected in the group of 100
on Friday.

“ Laos will host the SEA Games for the first time, and I wanted to
play a part in serving the nation,” she said. “As a Lao girl I want to
give other people an insight into Lao culture, both in Laos and
overseas.”

Another participant, Ms Bouasavanh Phanthamit, 18, from Luang Prabang,
who studies at Rattana Business Administration College , said she too
wanted to serve her country while building her confidence.

“Actually I'm shy and never thought I could take part in the selection
process, but I've discovered I'm confident enough to go through with
it,” she said.

By Vientiane Times

Japan injects 400 million yen to build martial arts center in Laos

The Japanese government will provide 37 billion kip (400 million yen) to the Lao National Sports Committee (LNSC) to assist in the construction of a martial arts centre in Vientiane .

The funding agreement was signed by LNSC Vice President, Mr Somphou Phongsa, and Japanese International Affairs Department Manager, Mr Yukinobu Morikawa, in Vientiane on Tuesday.

The sports committee will use the Lao-Japan Budo Centre to hold the karatedo and judo events at the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane next year. Budo is a Japanese term describing martial arts.

The centre will provide a first-rate training facility for the martial arts of karatedo, judo and aikido. The sports committee will also use the centre to host table tennis and sepak takraw tournaments and other entertainment events.

The Japanese Kanto Construction Company and Sanpo International Corporation will begin construction of the centre at the end of this month and will complete the facility by October next year. The Azusa Sekkei Company will serve as consultants during the construction.

Mr Morikawa said the construction companies were experienced working in Laos , having built hospitals in Songkhone district of Savannakhet province, Kaenthao district in Xayaboury province, Houn district in Oudomxay and Sing district in Luang Namtha province.

He said the companies would work closely with LNSC, the Japanese Embassy to Laos , and Japan 's International Cooperation Agency to ensure construction of the centre ran smoothly and efficiently. The centre will be the first such facility in Laos and officials hope that it will enable Lao martial arts athletes to win medals at next year's SEA Games.

Lao and Thai officials discuss SEA Games 2009 preparations

Officials from the Lao SEA Games Organising Committee and Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sport met on Wednesday in Vientiane to discuss preparations for the 2009 SEA Games. –Photo Sisay

The Lao SEA Games Organising Committee (LAOSOC) met with delegates from the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports in Vientiane on Wednesday to discuss progress on preparations for the 25th SEA Games.

The meeting was chaired by Lao National Sports Committee Vice President, Mr Somphou Phongsa, and the Thai Ministry of Tourism and Sports' Permanent Secretary Dr Sasithara Pichaichannarong.

The two sides discussed preparations for the games including the compilation of competition technical teams, construction of training and competition facilities, traffic and transport arrangements, volunteer organisers, television broadcasting and accommodation for athletes and officials.

Thai officials reported on the progress of an indoor stadium upgrade which the Thai government is providing 43 billion kip (179 million baht) funding for. The stadium in Beungkhayong village, Sisattanak district of Vientiane will host the shuttlecock and muay events during the games.

The facility is on track for completion in October next year, the meeting was told.

Mr Somphou, on behalf of LAOSOC, thanked the Thai government for its support in upgrading the Beungkhayong indoor stadium and other preparations for the event, which will be held in December 2009.

“In preparing for the games we have also received generous support from other neighbouring countries including Vietnam and China ,” he said.

Last month a meeting of the SEA Games Federation decreed the event would consist of 390 events across the 25 sports of athletics, aquatic sports (swimming, diving and water polo), archery, badminton, billiards and snooker, boxing, cycling, football, golf, judo, karatedo, sepak takraw, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis and soft tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling, wushu, muay, fin swimming, petanque, shuttlecock and pencak silat.

Competition venues are the national sports complex at Km 16 in Dongsanghin village, Xaythany district; Don Chan Palace; Booyoung and Olympasia indoor stadiums at the National University of Laos; Lao International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre; Chao-anouvong stadium in Anou village, Chanthabouly district; the Army stadium at Km 5 and the Vientiane Sports Department in Beungkhayong village, Sisattanak district.

Laos officially invites teams to SEA Games 2009

Photo: Standing Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad ( left ), who is also Chairman of the 2009 SEA Games Organising Committee, presents an invitation to the games to the head of the Vietnamese delegation to the SEAGF Council Meeting, Mr Nguyen Danh Thai. Mr Thai accepted the invitation on behalf of all Vietnamese competitors in the games.

Invitations to athletes and delegates to attend the 25th SEA Games in Vientiane next year have been given to all members of the Southeast Asian Games Federation (SEAGF).

The official invitations were handed over at a ceremony last week in Vientiane as Asean nations' sports heads attended the SEAGF Council Meeting from November 11 to 13

The invitations were presented by Standing Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad, who is also Chairman of the 25th SEA Games Organising Committee, and received by a representative from each country.

It is the custom for each SEA Games host nation to issue a formal invitation to inform each participating country the games will take place on the stated date.

Standing Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavad expressed his thanks to all SEAGF members for their support for Laos in hosting the 25th SEA Games and said he looked forward to seeing athletes and delegates from each country attending the games.

During the presentation of the invitations, Mr Somsavat told SEAGF sports heads that construction of facilities for the games was going well.

The complex to be used for competitions and training for several sports events and for the opening and closing ceremonies will be complete by March 2009, while other facilities will also be finished on time. The 25th SEA Games will be ready for the opening date in December 2009.

Mr Somsavat congratulated SEAGF sports heads on the successful meeting of council members in Vientiane .



The SEA Games organising committee confirmed the main stadium, located at Km 16 in Dongsanghin village, Xaythany district, is currently 70 percent complete.

Construction of other facilities is nearing completion. The athletes' village is about 15 percent complete, but is expected to be finished by next August.




Photos: The athletes' village at National University of Laos.

The athletes' village is on a 42,000sqm site at the Dongdok campus, National University of Laos. The village comprises 10 buildings and other auxiliary facilities. Eight four-storey buildings with international standard facilities will contain 1,000 rooms and accommodate 4,000 athletes. A single-storey building will house a canteen and a three-storey building will contain multi-purpose management offices.

Travellers discovered gigantic river cave in Laos !

A cave explorer stands before an imposing stalagmitemade of mineral depositsnear an entrance to the Xe Bang Fai River cave in central Laos. An expedition in February 2008, co-led by veteran caver John Pollack, comprehensively mapped and photographed the 5.9-mile (9.5-kilometer) length of the little-known cavern for the first time. The spelunking team encountered some of the largest rooms and most impressive structures of any river cave on Earth, Pollack said.A river cave is any cave with an active water source flowing through it.Everything about the cave is bigfrom its towering entrances to its phobia-inducing spiders, which can be 10 inches (25 centimeters) across, Pollack added."It's also extremely well decorated with spectacular formations," Pollack said.

FIVB holds successful coaches’ course in Laos

The FIVB International Coaching Course in Laos was a great success !Lausanne, October 16, 2008 – A successful FIVB International Coaching Course has recently been completed in Laos. FIVB sent two instructors, Course Director Peter Nonnenbroich of Germany and Thai Jakusuwan Tocharoen of the Thailand Development Centre, to work on the course that ran through October 1-13. The course attracted strong interest from up and coming coaches in Laos. The coaches received valuable lessons on how to instruct players and how to form a team. The Laos Volleyball Federation is working very hard to restructure its operations and the FIVB hopes the Federation will benefit from running more courses in the future.

Lao companies needed to produce SEA Games 2009 merchandise

Local companies are being sought to produce merchandise for sale during the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games to be held in Laos next year. Companies wanting to produce merchandise branded with the SEA Games logos must first seek permission from Phetchampa Advertising Company, otherwise they will be in breach of copyright. Eight foreign companies have already been granted these rights, but no Lao companies have expressed an interest in using the official SEA Games' logos. Phetchampa Advertising is contracted by the government to organise sponsorship and marketing for the SEA Games and they can license companies to use the logos for a fee. Company Director, Mr Khammoui Keomany, said the company was outsourcing the production of merchandise so it did not have to be involved in manufacturing or distribution. Local companies had proposed manufacturing goods and selling them to Phetchampa Advertising for distribution, but the company is not interested in this. “Granting permission for companies to use the logos, for a small fee, allows the event to generate income without us having to become involved in the production process,” he said. “It is the responsibility of the company rather than the committee for any issues with product quality. We are not responsible for controlling the scale of production, so if the companies have surplus merchandise after the event it will not have any effect on our company.” Those who have registered have enough experience to evaluate the market and how much merchandise they can sell, he said. Mr Khammoui is also a member of the SEA Games Organising Committee. He said the fee for companies to use the logo was not too high and was not deterring local businesses. Instead, he attributed their lack of interest to insufficient marketing experience. “We are working hard to convince local and foreign businessmen and companies to be sponsors, in order to promote the SEA Games to the outside world,” he said. Mr Khammoui said there would be a large market for SEA Games merchandise because local people, tourists and athletes from the 10 participating countries would be interested in buying souvenirs at the event. Businesses which have already been granted rights to use the logos include companies from Malaysia , Singapore and Thailand. By Phonesavanh Sangsomboun Vientianetimes

Bamboo Palace by Christopher Kremmer

Discovering the Lost Dynasty of Laos

Bamboo Palace begins as a travelogue. turns into a mystery and ultimately redefines a nation's history, as Christopher Kremmer journeys through Laos to uncover one of Indochina's darkest secrets.

For decades, the inscrutable leaders of the Lao People's Democratic Republic have deflected questions about the fate of the Lao royal family, traditional rulers of the 600-year-old Kingdom of the Million Elephants and the White Parasol, deposed by leftist guerillas in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Now, the author of the international bestseller The Carpet Wars cuts through the bamboo curtain to reveal the shocking truth.

A timely reminder of the consequences of ill-conceived war, Bamboo Palace takes readers from the jungles of Southeast Asia to the northwestern United States, where the author tracks down the last known survivor of the royal death camp. The former prisoner's testimony provides the definitive chilling climax.

An intriguing and at times disturbing portrait of a poor, landlocked country in the grip of tyranny, Bamboo Palace, is also and extraordinary story of human enduranc

History of Laos

History of Laos History of Laos

By M.L. Manich Jumsai

Information were collected from various sources during the days the author spent in Laos from 1957 to 1960. There existed only very scarce valuable manuscripts, either taken away by foreign collectors or destroyed by wars continuously raging in this country.

Laos inter-relationship with its neighbouring countries constitutes its history. Thais and Lao came from one same origin, later broke up to map out their own history under different names.

The author presented the history of Laos from earliest times right down to the present day as one branch of the bigger Thai race.

more

Lao Roots by Fleur Brofos Asmussen

Lao Roots by Fleur Brofos Asmussen

Fragments of a Nordic-Lao Family Saga

Lao Roots. In 1990 the author travelled to Laos to find her relatives still living there. For years she and her sister had sought the descendants of their grandmother, Sao Boun Ma. These Laotian relatives were finally found in Vientiane. The search revealed a complex and fantastic story. The Norwegian grandfather, Peter Hauff, who died in 1951, left a long account of his experiences as a trader in Indo-China (1890-1928) with a number of hitherto unknown photographs of Laos and Cambodia/Vietnam. Nowhere did he mention the Laotian mother of one of his daughters, and the Vietnamese mother of the other. Shortly after his son drowned and the premature death in Laos of his equally fantastic Swiss business partner, Hans Faesh, the energetic Peter Hauff left for Europe in 1905 with his two daughters. He married a woman probably not of his choice, and returned to Vietnam to continue trading. He eventually settled in France, and died there, never having seen again his Sao Boun Ma whom he described in a note shortly before his death as "the honest and faithful".

Loas in a nutshell

Hello everybody! I feel like i have so much to catch up on from the last few days! Ah- so this will be really summarized. So alana and I decided to get into Loas via what they call a "slow-boat" which takes 2 days as opposed to a "fast-boat" which takes only 6 hours. We wanted to take the fast boat but when we learned that you have to wear full-on crash helmets, that fatalities are common, and that they may be banned soon, we opted with the slowboat. We didn't arrange our Loas Visas ahead of time so we went with a group, that way we get our visas in 10 mins instead of 3 days.

So the day we leave we wake up early cuase the van is picking us up early (6.30am) and all goes smoothly. We pick up everyone else then we make a stop that we thought was our visas, so alana and i had commented to each other repetitively "Wow that was such a simple process, i sure hope all the other countries are the same!" Little did we know that was the pre-visa paper work...the really visa adventure was yet to come! This is what happened point form (just remember to add panic into the mix becuase at the begining we were told we only had 10 mins until the boat left, we were also exhausted becuase we slept terribly that night becuase we didn't have an alarm so we kept waking up and we didn't have any time for breakfast, and we were lugging ALL our luggage, oh and it was raining and i don't have any rain gear):

-pick up the other people

- drive for 2 hrs

- stop to fill our pre-visa forms

-get a bagged lunch, back into van

-drove down to water

-stamped out of Thailand, exchanged money to US dollar to pay for Visa

-crammed into "long-tail" boats

-crossed river in "no-mans-land" aka buffer land

-jumped our of boat (alana lost her sandal, but we got it back)

-dumped our luggage outside in the rain

-gave our passports over to some officer

-waited in the massive crowd for our name to be called so we can push through everyone to pay for our visa

- wait in another line to check into loas

- run back down and gather luggage and run up hill

-stop and show visa agian to some guy

-walk along street to sign sheet for boats, exhange Baht (Thai money) to Kip (Loa money), and buy pillows becuase boats are uncomfortable

- pile a bunch of us and our bags into a truck tuk-tuk, give them our passports

- get our near water, get passport, then climb down a long, steep, muddy bank, balance on a skinny, wabbly plank into boat. Alana dropped her lunch into the water but luckly some other guy dove in a got it lol

-yay we're on the boat, and finally seated after about half hour or shuffling!



The first day of the boat ride wasn't nice beucase we were soooo grimy from sweating then being stuck in this dusty boat plus it was raining out so we'de get wet every now and agian. The boat was not what we were expecting. when we booked our tickets we were told there would prolly be 20 people on it becuase its a slow time of year. NO WAY was it like that! I would guess they squished on 100 people. There were no extra seats, people already covered the floor, so they brought out extra chairs to fill the isle. Anyways, we made it. We spent the night in Pak Beng, a little hill side village which was gorgeous! We had an awsome room that was really clean (except for all the bugs ie. the one that flew up alanas shorts lol). I never thought i'de see a view like that in my life! The next day on the boat we were much better prepared...we carried on only what was neccessary! The ride was amazing! The sun was shining and the boat was nicer than the first one. Alana and i each had a whole bench to ourselves so we had some room. The river winds between huge mountians covered in jungle foliage. Occasionally you see a few bamboo huts or a gold temple higher in the mountians that shines in the sun. No description or picture could ever captivate the beauty along the Mekong River!

This takes up so where we are long new...Luang Praabang. and once agian i love it here! It is so relaxed and lay back. i think it would be impossible for anyone here to have even a small amount of stress. Today we took a tuktuk truck up to a waterfall. We didn't know what to expect so it was a shocker to see that we stepped into paradise! i honestly didn't think places that this existed naturally!!!!!! The waterfall was huge and landed around caves. The waterfall poured down into many pools that we could swim in. The water was torquise blue (more torquise then were we were in mexico!) and was refreshingly cool. Bamboo and palm trees lined the edges and there were little areas that looked like bubbling hot tubs (though they weren't cause they were cool like the rest of the water). Hiking part way up the falls, there was an old huge abandonded (what looks like a) resturant. It was 3 levels and had a woven roof out of leaves and a beautiful wooden pattern along all the walls...agian, i didn't things like this acually existed! We stayed there untill we had to meet our driver agian. When i have more time (my tummy is pretty hungry now!) i will try and post some of our pictures of it so you can get a glimpse of this paradise. it might be my favourite place on earth!

Tomarrow we are flying Siem Reip in Cambodia. We were planning on hitting one more place in Loas ,then go over to Hanoi in Vietnam but flight times, prices, and Visas are making that more difficult so we had to change our plans. We feel like we actually saw quite alot of Loas beucase of the long boat ride through it. It seemed that everything was working agianst us for Vietnam (prehaps for the best) so we decided to skip down to Cambodia. We're leaving tomarrow morning at 9 am. There is ALOT to see in Cambodia so we're VERY excited! Hopefully we'll be able to blog some more in Cambodia. Here is a bit perimitive ex. theres only 3 ATMS in all of Cambodia! Needless to say that its hard to get internet here (as we learned today from our travel agent- we were just about to book our flight tickets and the internet went down for several hours lol). Well i hope to keep you all posted and remember to post things on my blog to keep my updated! Luv u all

Loas gets more international help for SEA Games

Laos will be hosting its first ever SEA Games next year, and they are getting help and aid from other nations such as Olympic Council of Asia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Vietnam, China and South Korea to facilitate the progress

It is reported the outpouring of help have speed up the logistics and facilities up to 60 per cent being complete. Despite Laos staging lesser games during the biennial event; from 43 to 25, the eleven participating Souteast Asian nations are taking the games seriously

So far more than $100 million has been provided by the international help. There’s a $100 million aid from China to build a stadium, Thailand’s granting a $2.9 million for officials training, Singapore to provide teachers and technicians to Vietnam $19 million games village

At this rate, the impovorished communist country will be ready and set to host the game comes December 2009

the loas toldier the ultimate price to pay

iam at the howland county library in warren ohio lastnight i stopped at st.vincent de.paul catholic church in vienna and pitched my tent in a field behind the church the this morning got up went to mass and talked with the catholic priest he gave me 50 dollars to go from here its 82 west to 46 south to 30 west to 42 south into cincinnati its been a peaceful ride the last couple days but these people have the same attitude as the retired old yankees that go to florida in the winter and drive slow i havent done much but ride the last couple days 82 west is a dangerous bicycle road no shoulders and at times alot of traffic with alot of retired old people driveing but other then the stress of watching haveing to pay attention to whats going on behind me its been peaceful

Southern Loas

Sadly today is our last day in Loas, tomorrow we are flying to Cambodia to begin our Intrepid tour.

After Vang Vieng we did a kayak trip to Vientine. It turned out to be more sitting squished in a little bus than kayaking but was still good fun. Gary & I shared a kayak and managed to be the first to capsize in the first rapid. As it is the rainy season the rapids were a good size and the river was flowing nicely. We had about 3 good sized rapids and managed to fall in twice. It was nice to cool off even if the water was a nice brown colour.

We stayed in Vientiane (the capital) for three nights near the Nam Phu fountain. We spent one morning looking around the city and went to the Patuxai - Vientiane's Arc de Triomphe. We climbed to the top and had great views of the city. We had a relaxing afternoon and spent the second day doing a cooking course.

From Vientiane we caught the early morning flight (up at 4am) to Pakse. From the airport we headed straight to the bus station and pulled

Pataxai
Vientiane's Arc de Triomphe replica.

in just as our bus to Don Khong (4000 Islands) was pulling out. The bus stopped and the driver organised things we got on and off we went - not 100% sure we were heading to the right place. Eventually we arrived after catching the "vehicle ferry" to the island. In the afternoon we cycled about 32km around the whole island which was impressive considering the bikes we were using.

We took a boat trip to Don Det and Don Khon. We cycled around Don Khon to see the Tat Somphamit waterfalls. Unfortunately we were unable to swim as there is currently too much water in the river. If we had more time this would have been a great place to spend a few days relaxing...maybe next time. We also visited Khon Phapheng Falls which are the largest (by volume) falls in Southeast Asia.

Today we headed back to Pakse and are catching a flight tomorrow morning to Cambodia to begin our intrepid tour.

Veves & Loas by Raymond S. Harmon

“First I shot various bits of footage off the screen of Maya Derens Divine Horsemen. Then I took the footage I shot and edited it down to the pieces I wanted and created a series of composite images out of the variables I had chosen. What you are seeing are sometimes dozens of layers of images pushed on top of each other. The movement is created by the difference between the composited forms.” -Raymond S. Harmon
—
Found @ http://www.youtube.com/user/raymondsharmon

Vietnamese businessman to donate 14 million dollars for SEA Games

Hanoi - A Vietnamese real estate and forest products magnate said Wednesday he will pledge 14 million dollars to Laos to help the country host the 2009 SEA Games, the biannual Southeast Asian sports competition. Doan Nguyen Duc, chairman of Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group, said he and a Laotian deputy prime minister will sign the sponsorship agreement in Vientiane Saturday.

Duc said the money would be used to build an athletes' housing complex in Vientiane. After the games are over, the complex will become a dormitory for the National University of Laos.

"I decided to sponsor Laos because Hoang Anh Gia Lai has business operations there, and the Laotian government has supported my company a lot," Duc said.

Duc said his group owns a wood processing factory in Laos which consumes between 10,000 and 20,000 cubic metres of timber annually. It also has 15,000 hectares of rubber tree plantations in the heavily forested country.

Duc said his company planned to begin mining iron and copper ore in Laos in the near future.

Earlier this year, Duc became the first private aircraft owner in Vietnam since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 when he purchased a used Beechcraft King Air 350 for 7 million dollars.

Duc is the chairman of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai Football Club, one of Vietnam's most successful teams, and has been negotiating to purchase a stake of 20 per cent in the British soccer club Arsenal.

The Hoang Anh Gia Lai conglomerate has branched out from its original base in rubber plantations in Vietnam's central highlands to include interests in real estate, hotels, and other industries. In an interview in May, Duc said he expects profits of more than 150 million dollars this year.

Wat Phou, one of the world heritage site in Laos

Wat Phou, one of the world heritage site in Laos


Wat Phou (Vat Phu) is a ruined Khmer temple complex in southern Laos. It is located at the base of mount Phu Kao, some 6 km from the Mekong river in Champassak province. There was a temple on the site as early as the 5th century, but the surviving structures date from the 11th to 13th centuries. The temple has a unique structure, in which the elements lead to a shrine where a linga was bathed in water from a mountain spring. The site later became a centre of Theravada Buddhist worship, which it remains today.



History
Wat Phou was initially associated with the city of Shrestapura, which lay on the bank of the Mekong directly east of mount Lingaparvata (now called Phu Kao). By the latter part of the 5th century the city was already the capital of a kingdom which texts and inscriptions connect with both Chenla and Champa, and the first structure on the mountain was constructed around this time. The mountain gained spiritual importance from the linga-shaped protuberance on its summit; the mountain itself was therefore considered the home of Shiva, and the river as representing the ocean or the Ganges River. The temple was naturally dedicated to Shiva, while the water from the spring which emerges directly behind the temple was considered sacred.

Wat Phou was a part of the Khmer empire, centred on Angkor to the southwest, at least as early as the reign of Yashovarman I in the early 10th century. Shrestapura was superseded by a new city in the Angkorian period, located directly south of the temple. In the later period, the original buildings were replaced, re-using some of the stone blocks; the temple now seen was built primarily during the Koh Ker and Baphuon periods of the 11th century. Minor changes were made during the following two centuries, before the temple, like most in the empire, was converted to Theravada Buddhist use. This continued after the area came under control of the Lao, and a festival is held on the site each February. Little restoration work has been done, other than the restoration of boundary posts along the path. Wat Phou was designated a World Heritage Site in 2001.

The site
Like most Khmer temples, Wat Phou is orientated towards the east. although the axis actually faces eight degrees south of due east, being determined primarily by the orientation of the mountain and the river. Including the barays it stretches 1.4 km east from the source of the spring, at the base of a cliff 100 m up the hill. 6 km east of the temple, on the west bank of the Mekong, lay the city, while a road south from the temple itself led to other temples and ultimately to the city of Angkor.

Approached from the city (of which little remains), the first part of the temple reached is a series of barays. Only one now contains water, the 600 by 200 m middle baray which lies directly along the temples’s axis; there were further reservoirs north and south of this, and a further pair on each side of the causeway between the middle baray and the palaces.

The two palaces stand on a terrace on either side of the axis. They are known as the north and south palaces or, without any evidence, the men’s and women’s palaces (the term “palace” is also a mere convention — their purpose is unknown). Each consisted of a rectangular courtyard with a corridor and entrance on the side towards the axis, and false doors at the east and west ends. The courtyards of both buildings have laterite walls; the walls of the northern palace’s corridor are also laterite, while those of the southern palace are sandstone. The northern building is now in better condition. The palaces are notable chiefly for their pediments and lintels, which are in the early Angkor Wat style.

The next terrace has a small shrine to Nandin (Shiva’s mount) to the south, in poor condition. The road connecting Wat Phou to Angkor ran south from this temple. Continuing west, successive staircases lead up further terraces; between them stands a dvarapala which has come to be worshipped as king Kammatha, mythical builder of the temple. On the narrow next terrace are the remains of six small shrines destroyed by treasure-hunters.

The path culminates in seven sandstone tiers which rise to the upper terrace and central sanctuary. The sanctuary is in two parts. The front section, of sandstone, is now occupied by four Buddha images, while the brick rear part, which formerly contained the central linga, is empty. The entire roof is missing, although a makeshift covering has been added to the front. Water from the spring which emerges from the cliff about 60 m southwest of the sanctuary was channeled along stone aqueducts into the rear chamber, continuously bathing the linga. The sanctuary is later than the north and south palaces, belonging to the Baphuon period of the later 11th century. The east side has three doorways: from south to north, their pediments show Krishna defeating the naga Kaliya; Indra riding Airavata; and Vishnu riding Garuda. The east wall bears dvarapalas and devatas. Entrances to the south and north bear have inner and outer lintels, including one to the south of Krishna ripping Kamsa apart.

Other features of the area are a library, in poor condition, south of the sanctuary, and a relief of the Hindu trinity to the northwest. There are other carvings further north: a Buddha’s footprint on the cliff-face, and boulders shaped to resemble elephants and a crocodile. The crocodile stone has acquired some notoriety as being possibly the site of an annual human sacrifice described in a 6th century Chinese text the identification is lent some plausibility by the similarity of the crocodile’s dimensions to those of a human.

Laos Travel Facts

Getting Here
Laos can be reached by land, air and river from the neighboring countries of Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia and China. To enter the country, visitors need a passport with at least six months validity. There is regular air service to Laos on Thai International, Viet Nam Airlines, Lao Airlines, China Southern and Bangkok Airways. The busiest entry-exit point is the Friendship Bridge, which connects Vientiane to Nong Khai, Thailand. Another popular overland border crossing is Houeisai that links Northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province to northwestern Laos at the center of the famed Golden Triangle.

Visas and Border Formalities
30-day visas are available from Lao Embassies and consulates abroad. Alternatively, 30-day visa on arrival may be obtained by passport holders at the following 11 international border crossings: Botene in Luang Namtha (Laos-China), Houeisai in Bokeo (Laos-Thailand), Na Meo in Houaphan (Laos-Viet Nam), Namkhan in Xieng Khouang (Laos-Viet Nam), Nam Phao in Bolikhamxai (Laos-Vietnam), Thakhaek in Khammouane (Laos-Thailand), Na Phao in Khammouane (Laos-Viet Nam), Dene Savan (Laos-Viet Nam) and Dan Savanh (Laos-Thailand) in Savannakhet and Vang Tao in Champassak (Laos-Thailand). If you have already have a visa you may enter Laos from Cambodia at Veun Kham. Visa extensions are possible and best handled by one of the many tour companies in Vientiane , Luang Prabang or Pakse.
With the enactment of the ASEAN Tourism Agreement, ASEAN nations are moving towards establishing a visa-free tourism zone for ASEAN nationals by the end of 2005. If you are a citizen of an ASEAN country, check with the Lao Embassy in your country whether or not you require a visa to enter Laos.

Climate
Laos generally enjoys a mild tropical climate, but it can get quite chilly in the cool season. Temperatures range from 10 ? 40 degrees Celsius in the Mekong Valley , and may dip below zero in the mountains and on the Xieng Khouang and Bolaven Plateaus. There are three distinct seasons: cool from November-February; hot from March-May and the rainy season which lasts from June -October. Most people find the best time to visit from October-February, however the low season offers lush green landscapes in the rainy season and the colorful Lao New Year’s festival in April.

Geography
Laos‘ main geographic features are low mountains, the Xieng Khouang and Bolavens plateau and the Mekong River valley. Of the country’s 237,000 square kilometers, about 70% of the country is mountainous, with the highest peak, Phou Bia reaching just over 2,800 meters.

Language
The national language is Lao as it is spoken in Vientiane , but English is commonly used in major tourist centers. Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai are widely understood. French, German, Russian and a number of other European languages are also spoken by many educated Lao as many students received university training in Eastern Europe during the 1970’s-1990’s. In addition, there are over 220 indigenous languages spoken by Laos’ 47 different ethnic groups, part of the country’s cultural heritage that makes it so interesting.

Money
The official currency of the Lao PDR is the Lao Kip. Major travelers checks can be cashed at banks. Credit cards are accepted in major hotels and a limited number of upscale shopping establishments. At present, it is not possible to withdraw currency from your account at home using an ATM in Laos.

Post and Internet Access
There are post offices in all provincial capitals where letters and parcels may be sent to your home country. At Vientiane ’s main post office there is a post restante service. Both DHL and FedEx have offices in Vientiane. Internet access is available in all major tourism centers and all but the most remote population centers.

Phone and Fax Services
International Direct Dial is widely available and you can send and receive faxes from all post offices and many private businesses. You can also purchase a local SIM card for your mobile phone.

Electricity
24-hour electricity is now available in all major population centers and many district capitals. Laos uses 220 volt AC.

Business Hours
Government offices are open from 8:30-12:00 and from 1pm to about 4:30 on Monday through Friday. Private businesses are generally open later, especially restaurants and entertainment places. Except for restaurants, most businesses are closed on Sunday.

Traveling with Children
Laos is a safe, quiet country with a lot to explore for both adults and children. Lao people love kids, and if you bring yours along the attention and curiosity they arouse will open up many opportunities for you to interact and make friends with your hosts.

Health
Laos has only basic health care and you should check with your physician regarding which vaccinations and health precautions you should get before coming. The World Health Organization recommends the following vaccinations for SE Asia ; diphtheria and tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella, polio and typhoid. If you are taking any special medications, be sure to bring along an adequate supply to last the length of your trip. Precautionary measures like eating only well cooked food, drinking bottled water, staying hydrated, avoiding being bitten by mosquitoes and wearing protective clothing will help prevent most common ailments.

Laos Vientiane Wat Sisaket

Wat Sisaket or Vat Sisaket as they spell it in Laos is the oldest surviving temple in Vientiane, the King Anouvong got them started on it in 1818, in 1828 when the Thais invaded Vientiane they didn't destroy this temple due to it looking like a Thai temple, in 1924 and 1930 the French restored the temple.

I should mention that the nasty evil Laos xenophobes charge dirty foreigners 5,000kip to get in and Laos people 2,000kip, although if you pay in baht it is 10baht, quite often in Vientiane it is best to ask the price in kip and baht as you quite often get better deals paying in different currencies, they also say it is a museum, a museum of what I have no idea, the main building in the middle of the compound you are not allowed to take photos in, only has a Buddha shrine in it but the walls do have some nicely painted murals on, trouble is the Lao guy that was guarding it wouldn't leave so I couldn't get any pictures of the inside

Laos Travel: The Tourists Are Invading

Travelers love to brag about their off-the-beaten-path adventures, but finding a corner of the earth that hasn't succumb to tourism is getting harder all the time. Now you can tack Luang Prabang, Laos right up there with Oman and Bangladesh.

The International Herald Tribune's Seth Mydans tells us that serene mornings along the Mekong are no longer; along with the peaceful pitter-pat of monks asking for alms is the din of camera-toting gawkers. Luang Prabang--a 700 year-old village and UNESCO heritage site since 1995--is slowly being turned into a "replica of itself," Mydans writes. The bars are open until midnight, and the quiet atmosphere that once defined the town is being bled out by a thirst for business.

It's another grim example of how tourism can change a place for the worse, drastically altering the quality of life for locals. And it presents a baffling paradox for travelers who are genuinely looking for a unique experience: How do you go without being part of the problem?

Transport plans in Laos for SEA Games 2009 unveiled

More than 200 cars and 200 buses will be used to transport athletes and officials around Laos during the 2009 SEA Games.

More than 10,000 people, including about 4,500 athletes and delegates, are expected to visit Laos for the event next year.

SEA Games Transport Committee Head, Mr Lattanamany Khounnyvong, told Vientiane Times the committee had sent a draft transport plan to the SEA Games Organising Committee Secretariat.

The plan proposes the use of 200 cars and more than 200 buses during the games, which will take place in Vientiane and Champassak and Luang Prabang provinces.

Mr Lattanamany, who is also Ministry of Public Works and Transport Office Head, said the plan may be adjusted after being reviewed by the organising committee.

“We expect the draft plan will be approved by the end of this month and we hope to arrange contracts with private sector entities by the end of October,” he said.

The transport committee plans to have vehicles departing the athletes' accommodation in Dongdok village and going to the National Sports Stadium every 10 minutes during peak times of the event.

This service will operate every 20 minutes during off-peak times and will include special arrangements for large groups of athletes.

Mr Lattanamany said the transportation of athletes' luggage was a priority and the committee had sent official letters to overseas aviation companies requesting them to provide priority services when transporting athletes' equipment and belongings.

He said the number of services operating between provinces would be decided after participating countries confirmed the number of athletes and delegates attending.

Public vehicles will be banned from entering the stadium area to ease traffic congestion during the event.

“We are currently discussing parking arrangements for public vehicles,” Mr Lattanamany said.

Officials intend to arrange public transport services for people wishing to attend events.

Mr Lattanamany said the committee met on a weekly basis to update information and discuss appropriate preparation work.

25th sea games, Boxing Laos, Brunei, bus, Cambodia Vietnam, events Vientiane, indonesia singapore, Laotian Thailand, malaysia, myamar, philippines, taxi, transport, SEA GAMES

Sea Games 2009 in Laos uncertain

Sea Games 2009 in Laos uncertain

The 25th Southeast Asian Games is scheduled to be held in Vientiane, Laos, in 2009. This will be the first time the country has ever held a Southeast Asian Games. However, there is an important condition for hosting the games: if Laos fails to meet the qualifications to hold this event, the games will be moved to Singapore.

Because of the limited sports facilities in Vientiane, the competition will comprise only 25 disciplines. This is already a very limited number of competitions compared to the 43 held last year in Nakhon Ratchasima, North-east Thailand. With the help of China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and the Olympic Council of Asia, there is good hope Laos will be able to host the 25th SEA games.

Unfortunately, a big disagreement arose between Thailand and Laos. What is the problem? Money, basically. Thailand initially vowed to support Laos in its first hosting of the SEA Games, offering use of its facilities for events which Laos has no capability of hosting. Thailand, however, withdrew its offer, prompting Laos to scamper for resources to be able establish the multi million facilities needed for the Games.

There is a distinguished reason for these actions. Laos is said to be seeking 75 percent of the television rights and for changes in crucial provisions in the current charter of the SEA Games federation. The host country also desires to create headquarters in Laos. This would leave all SEA Games members sharing whatever would be left from the 25 television revenues.

In order to solve this problem, a two day conference is planned to talk about the issue of the chapter change. It is important for the Lao government to handle these negatiations with care or else the SEA games of 2009 might go to Singapore. No doubt, the government realizes this fact and will reassure us soon that we can all look forward to a fantastic event in Vientiane in December 2009.

ซีเกมส์ 2009

ซีเกมส์ 2009 เป็นการแข่งขันกีฬาซีเกมส์ ครั้งที่ 25 ซึ่งจะจัดขึ้นที่เวียงจันทน์ ประเทศลาว ระหว่างวันที่ 3-12 ธันวาคม พ.ศ. 2552 ตัวนำโชคเป็นช้างเผือกงานิล 2 เชือก ตัวผู้ ชื่อ "จำปา" และ ตัวเมย ชื่อ "จำปี" สัญลักษณ์การแข่งขันเป็นรูป พระธาตุหลวง ซึ่งเป็นสัญลักษณ์สำคัญของชาติ ส่วนสัญลักษณ์นำเอาอักษรลาวโบราณมาจัดทำ
การ แข่งขันกีฬาซีเกมส์ครั้งนี้ลาวได้รับความช่วยเหลือจากประเทศเพื่อนบ้าน เช่น ประเทศจีนให้เงินสนับสนุนถึง 100 ล้านดอลลาร์สหรัฐ หรือประมาณ 3,600 ล้านบาท เพื่อก่อสร้างสนามกีฬาแห่งชาติแห่งใหม่บนเนื้อที่กว่า 300 ไร่บนป่าเสื่อมโทรมในกรุงเวียงจันทน์[1] และประเทศลาวได้แสดงความจำนงขอความช่วยเหลือจากประเทศไทย 3 ประเด็น คือ จัดส่งผู้ฝึกสอนช่วยฝึกซ้อมนักกีฬาลาว รับการสนับสนุนอุปกรณ์กีฬาภายหลังจากที่ไทยใช้จัดการแข่งขันซีเกมส์ 2007 และต้องการให้ไทยช่วยเหลือปรับปรุงซ่อมแซมสนามแข่งขันบางสนาม ทั้งนี้เนื่องจากไทยมีประสบการณ์จัดซีเกมส์มาหลายครั้ง และต้องการสานสัมพันธ์ไทย-ลาวให้แน่นแฟ้นยิ่งขึ้น[2]
อย่างไรก็ตาม ในกรณีที่ประเทศลาวไม่สามารถจัดการแข่งขันได้ ประเทศสิงคโปร์ จะรับหน้าที่เป็นเจ้าภาพแทน ซึ่งแต่เดิมนั้นสิงคโปร์จะต้องเป็นเจ้าภาพการแข่งขันในปี 2007 แต่จำเป็นต้องถอนตัวเนื่องจากศูนย์กีฬาที่จะใช้ทำการแข่งขันนั้นสร้างเสร็จ ไม่ทัน

Southeast Asian Games

Sports

Despite the limited sports facilities in Vientiane, only 25 disciplines will be in competition, compared to 43 held in Nakhon Ratchasima. Among the sports will be missing from competition are cycling, gymnastics, hockey, rowing and weightlifting.

• Archery
• Aquatics
• Athletics
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Billiards and Snooker¹
• Bodybuilding¹
• Boxing
• Bowling
• Football
• Golf¹
• Handball
• Judo
• Karatedo
• Muay Thai²
• Pencak Silat²
• Pétanque²
• Shooting
• Shuttle cock kickingʰ
• Table tennis
• Taekwondo
• Traditional boat race¹
• Volleyball
• Wrestling
• 
  

Plastic seats for new SEA Games stadium in Laos proposed

(KPL) The Saplast Vientiane Company, Vietnamese investor has hoped to produce plastic seats for equipping with in the new stadium for the host of 25th SEA Games.
According to Mr Huynhtan Phuoc, Director of Saplast Vientiane Company disclosed last week that our company sent a selling proposal of plastic seats and bins with a reasonable price to the Lao government.

He said that this proposal is a part of efforts to promote the domestic goods and also able to decrease the volume of imported goods especially plastic tools. One more reason if the Lao government adopted our proposal, the foreign currency would not flow out the country.

This company is currently the leading supplier plastic tools to local market, he said. All our products are high quality and international standard.
The company was established in Laos, January 2005 under bilateral cooperation between Vietnamese and Lao governments, with registered investment was around US$ 1.3 million.

Laos, Vietnam armed forces to further cooperation

(KPL) – The people’s armies of Laos and Vietnam and agreed to continue their cooperation in training, searching and repatriating remains of Vietnamese soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Laos during the past wars.
During talks between General Le Van Dung, Director of the Vietnam People’s Army General Politics Department and his Laos guest, Major General Sengnouane Sayalath, in Hanoi on May 13, the host welcomed the Lao senior officer’s visit, which aims to boost mutual understanding between the two armies, according to the report of Vietnam news agency.
The visit, lasting from May 12-18, will also help contribute to consolidating and developing the special and traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, two States, two armies and two people, he said.
The same day, Major General Sengnouane Sayalat and his entourage paid a courtesy visit to State President Nguyen Minh Triet and Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh.

* home * Samakomlao * Tour Laos * Lao links * Luang Prabang * 25th Sea Games * Lao Football www.flickr.com A photo on Fli

(KPL) Lao National Sport Committee last Friday organized a press conference on the preparation for Miss SEA Games Contest 2009. The games will be held on 9-18 December next year in Vientiane.

The press conference was chaired by Deputy President of Lao National Sport Committee, Mr Boualan Silipanya, and attended by concerned officials.

“This event aims to have Miss Sea Games, who will serve as sport and cultural ambassadors of the event,” Mr Boualan said.

Women, aged between 18 and 25, with the height of over 155cm, single, fluent in both Lao and English and healthy, can apply for the contest with the Secretariat of Miss Sea Games Contest at Lao National Sport Committee Office between 1 July and 15 September.

Seagames 2009 In Laos

Laos is now preparing for the 25th South East Asian Game (SEA GAMES) which will be held in Laos
year 2009 or about 3 years from now. I want to know your idea what kind of animal or symbol you want
the mascot of 25th SEA Games to be like?
Since Laos use to be the land of million elephants, should our mascot be elephant? but elephants
already used in SEA Games in Chiang Mai last time. then... what will be our mascot for year 2009

Lao Karatedo team eyes two golds in SEA Games 2009

Photo: Mr Vilayvong Boutdhakham ( third left ), Mr Phongsavath Boupha ( fourth left ), Mr Watanabe Toshiyuki ( fourth right ) and federation officials gather at the Youth Union on Monday. The Lao karatedo team is hoping for two gold medals at the 25 th SEA Games in Laos next year, after winning only one bronze medal at the 24 th SEA Games in Thailand last December. On Monday the Lao Karatedo Federation held a ceremony at the Lao Revolutionary Youth Union to present certificates and black belts (dan) to the federation president and officials. A representative of the Yuuwakai Association of Japan, Mr Watanabe Toshiyuki, presented certificates and black belts (5 dan, 4 dan and 3 dan) to President of the Lao Karatedo Federation and Deputy Security General of the Lao Revolutionary Youth Union, Mr Vilayvong Boutdhakham, and to the federation's vice presidents, secretary and trainers. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and consultant to the federation Phongsavath Boupha, national team members and members of the Vientiane Secondary School Karatedo Club also attended the ceremony. “We want to strengthen the hearts of the federation's president and officials to encourage them to continue to improving karatedo in Laos ,” Mr Phongsavath said. “We thank the Yuuwakai Association and hope Japan will continue to help us develop karatedo in Laos and that our two countries will enjoy friendly cooperation.” The karatedo team from Vientiane Secondary School gave a demonstration of their skills at the end of the ceremony. Consultant to the federation Sonesak N.Nhansana supervised an examination of karatedo fighters in several categories at the Lao Telecom Centre Shotokan Karatedo camp on Sunday. Seven candidates passed the examination and received a black belt and 3 kyu, 7 kyu and 8 kyu belts. They have been training in the sport since March this year. The camp will send a karatedo team to compete in the 8 th National Games in Champassak province in December and the camp's top fighters will join the national team at the 25 th SEA Games in Laos next year.

Lao Karatedo dreams high for 25th SEA GAMES 2009

ore than 100 people watched as the Lao Karatedo Federation announced the formation of a new committee last Sunday at the International Cooperation and Training Centre in Vientiane. Minister to the Prime Minister's Office and President of the Lao National Sports Committee Dr Phouthong Seng-akhon adopted the measure aimed at improving the organisational structure of the karatedo executive board in April this year. The new committee conprises five consultants of whom two hold honorary positions. There are also 11 administrators. “The announcement of this new structure is part of the federation's development plans as required by the Lao National Sports Committee in preparation for the 25 th SEA Games, which Laos will host next year,” federation president Vilayvong Bouddakham said. At the same time, members of the outgoing executive committee and donors to the federation received certificates of honour and congratulations. Attendees then watched a karatedo demonstration led by federation advisor Phongsavath Boupha, in which more than 60 fighters took part. Mr Vilayvong and President of the Yuuwakai Association of Japan, Mr Watanabe Shinichi, signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a karatedo practice centre and office. Mr Vilayvong said the US$100,000 grant aid from the Yuuwakai Association would provide the federation with better training facilities and encourage more people to take part in the sport. The association has been providing Japanese karatedo coaches for long term training programmes to help strengthen Lao players' skills. According to a press release from the federation, the government has set a target for athletes to win 25 gold medals in 25 th SEA Games, including two in karatedo. The federation plans to expand training for karatedo fighters nationwide in a bid to increase the number of players. “The Eighth National Games is taking place in Champassak province in December. This is good preparation for Lao athletes taking part in the SEA Games,” Vice President of the Lao National Sports Committee Somphou Vongsa said. According to 2007 federation figures, Laos has only about 100 karatedo fighters. This is much less than the estimated 25,000 in Vietnam, 10,000 in Myanmar, 3,000 in Cambodia and 100,000 in Thailand. The federation was first established in 1998 when it was called the Karatedo Association. The Lao National Sports Committee later changed the name to the Lao Karatedo Federation. Lao karatedo fighters have taken part in many international competitions, including the 22 nd SEA Games in Vietnam (no medal), 23 rd SEA Games in the Philippines (one bronze), the World Karatedo Championships in Germany in 2004 (one bronze) and a meet in Australia in 2006 (no medal). Karatedo fighters also attended the 13 th Asian universities competition in Vietnam in 2006 (two silver and 10 bronze medals) and the 24 th SEA Games in Thailand in 2007 (one bronze).

Laos urged to add more sports at SEA Games 2009

JAKARTA: Four countries are urging host Laos to add several sports to the 25th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which are scheduled to be held from Dec. 13 to 21 next year, according to Indonesia's sports chief.Rita Subowo, chairwoman of the National Sports Council (KONI), said Friday that Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand had met with representative from Laos to discuss the possibility including sports such as basketball, archery, canoeing, weightlifting and cycling. "However, Laos indicated it would not host those sports events due to lack of facilities and funds," Rita said. "Those sports would give Indonesia good medal chances," she said. Laos plans to stage 25 sports, much fewer than the 43 at the 2007 SEA Games in Thailand. Rita said the four countries would further discuss the issue in November in the hope of convincing Laos to add those sports. (ewd)

25th SEA Games Laos facilities funded by Vietnam

View of Vientiane
A Vietnam funded hotel and office has began in Vientiane, Laos. This US$7 million, 11,000sq.m and six story building is being built for the upcoming 25th SEA Games in Laos next year
The project is being handles by Vietnam-Laos Electricity Joint Stock Co and it is essential the project built in the capital city of Laos, to be finished by November 2009 or the games would be move to Singapore due to games incompletion

Thailand to give Laos $2.9 m for SEA Games

BANGKOK - THAILAND will give Laos 98 million baht (S$3.9 million) to help it organise the region's biggest sports event next year, a Thai government spokesman said. The Southeast Asian Games are scheduled to take place in Laos at the end of next year but the impoverished nation desperately needs funds to improve its infrastructure. 'The money will be given to help Laos organise the 25th SEA Games, to improve stadiums and train staff,' spokesman Weerinthira Nathongborcharas said in a statement. Laos, which has no experience in organising international sporting events, will host the bi-annual 25-sport games from December 3-12, 2009. Ms Weerinthira said Thailand will send referees to train Laotian personnel in 12 sporting events and offer further training courses in Bangkok in four other events. Thailand will also loan Laos sports equipment from the previous SEA Games, which took place in Thailand last December. Thailand joins China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Olympic Council of Asia in supporting the Laos event, which will take place mostly at the national stadium in the capital Vientaine. -- AFP

Improving road for 25th SEA Games in Laos 2009

(KPL) The Government plans to improve a road access to the new SEA Stadium to support the upcoming 25th SEA Games to be hosted in 2009, Vientiane Capital.The distance of road would be improved which stretches from T-junction of Ban Saysavang to the SEA Games’ stadium, at KM16 (Road No 13 south) with an aim to provide convenient communication.Head of Road Improvement Project, Mr Noulath Latsapong said that the improvement of this road is aiming at expanding road to deal with traffic jams during the 25th SEA Games. This road is a total length of 4,500 metres and width of 22 metre. The road improvement is worth US$3.75 million, of which Government contributed 750,000 US dollar and the rest was a loan from Korean fund and it expected to be completed within 18 months.The technical officials of the project met each other on 13 June at the Department of Construction and Transport to discuss on removing other barriers out of the construction area.The Government has pledged to compensate local people who have affected from the construction.

Laos dropping major sports in SEA Games 2009

KUALA LUMPUR: The initial 22 sports proposed by hosts Laos for the 25th SEA Games next year have come under fire from a number of countries, including Malaysia.
Laos have indicated that they might only stage about 25 sports, a far cry from the 43 medal sports and two demonstration sports in the programme of the biennial Games in Thailand last December.
Sports like shuttlecock, merely a traditional game played by ethnic groups in Asian countries like Vietnam, China, Laos, Cambodia, and fin swimming have been proposed, instead of weightlifting, snooker or basketball.
Shuttlecock, which resembles a hoop sepaktakraw match, uses feathers clustered together just like a shuttle used in badminton, but played with the feet.
The game is played in two basic forms – the artistic (points for the most difficult moves) and team (played with a net in the centre and two players on each side, juggling and smashing the shuttlecock with their feet).

SEA Games

National Anthems of all the SEA Games Participants

SEA Games

National Anthems of all the SEA Games Participants

Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Nakhon Ratchasima (Thai: นครราชสีมา), often shortened to Korat or Khorat, is one of the north-eastern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (clockwise, from north) Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Prachinburi, Nakhon Nayok, Saraburi, Lopburi.

The capital of the province is the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, also called Korat or Khorat.

1. Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima
2. Khon Buri
3. Soeng Sang
4. Khong
5. Ban Lueam
6. Chakkarat
7. Chok Chai
8. Dan Khun Thot
9. Non Thai
10. Non Sung
11. Kham Sakaesaeng
12. Bua Yai
13. Prathai
14. Pak Thong Chai
15. Phimai
16. Huai Thalaeng
17. Chum Phuang
18. Sung Noen
19. Kham Thale So
20. Sikhio
21. Pak Chong
22. Nong Bun Mak
23. Kaeng Sanam Nang
24. Non Daeng
25. Wang Nam Khiao
26. Thepharak
27. Mueang Yang
28. Phra Thong Kham
29. Lam Thamenchai
30. Bua Lai
31. Sida
32. Chaloem Phra Kiat

Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Nakhon Ratchasima (Thai: นครราชสีมา), often shortened to Korat or Khorat, is one of the north-eastern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are (clockwise, from north) Chaiyaphum, Khon Kaen, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Prachinburi, Nakhon Nayok, Saraburi, Lopburi.

The capital of the province is the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, also called Korat or Khorat.

1. Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima
2. Khon Buri
3. Soeng Sang
4. Khong
5. Ban Lueam
6. Chakkarat
7. Chok Chai
8. Dan Khun Thot
9. Non Thai
10. Non Sung
11. Kham Sakaesaeng
12. Bua Yai
13. Prathai
14. Pak Thong Chai
15. Phimai
16. Huai Thalaeng
17. Chum Phuang
18. Sung Noen
19. Kham Thale So
20. Sikhio
21. Pak Chong
22. Nong Bun Mak
23. Kaeng Sanam Nang
24. Non Daeng
25. Wang Nam Khiao
26. Thepharak
27. Mueang Yang
28. Phra Thong Kham
29. Lam Thamenchai
30. Bua Lai
31. Sida
32. Chaloem Phra Kiat

national stadium in Laos for 2009 Sea Games

This new national stadium has been constructed at Km 16 in Xaythany district on Road 13 South of Vientiane city and is expected to be ready 3 months before the SEA Games start. The swimming pools, golf and tennis courts of world standard will be built near the Lao International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre (ITECC).

The Lao national sport committee announced to organise some sports events in Vientiane, Luang prabang and Savannakhet provinces. The traditional boat racing, canoeing and other events will be held in Vientiane province. The first round of the men football competition will be held in Savannakhet because the new 15,000-seat stadium is completed. The new stadium in Luang prabang province will be used for women football competition.

Laos will send 136 athletes covering 13 sports in 23nd SEA GAMES!

Paxason Newspaper: The upcoming 23nd SEA GAMES in the Philippines, Laos will send 136 athletes
participating in 13 kinds of sport namely:
1. Football
2. Wushu
3. Wrestling
4. PETANQUE
5. Boxing
6. Shooting
7. Tennis
8. Golf
9. TAEKWONDO
10. Running
11. Judo
12. Karate
13. MUAY

Out of these sports, Laos has high hope to get gold medal from only 3 sports: PETANQUE, Boxing and
taekwondo.