Typing Lao In An Open Source Office Suite

Posted on 31/07/2014 by J&C Admin
Typing Lao In An Open Source Office Suite

LibreOffice, an open source office suite, is getting ready to release the upcoming version 4.3, bringing many new improvements.
One thing that you may not be aware of is that for some time now (since version 4.2), LibreOffice has native word detection support for Lao, a difficult feature to implement correctly. This allows for dynamic word-breaking, spell-check, and word count features in Lao that traditionally have not been possible with most office suites in the past without ….. Continue reading →

Posted in Apps, Communication (Phone-Internet-etc), Education, Handy Hints, Internet, Media, Phones | Tagged | Leave a comment

State Employee Yearly Salary Increase Suspended

Posted on 31/07/2014 by J&C Admin
State Employee Yearly Salary Increase Suspended

State employees’ salaries will not increase in the next fiscal year as originally planned, a senior government official has confirmed.
The salary increase will not go ahead due to the current budget tensions, with the government exercising cautious spending and cuttin g unnecessary expenditure.
According to the Prime Ministerial Decree issued previously, the salary index for state officials was set to increase from 6,700 kip per index point to …. Continue reading →

Posted in Lao Economy | Leave a comment

Inpeng Culture & Entertainment Park: Vientiane’s Newest Attraction

Posted on 28/07/2014 by J&C Admin
Inpeng Culture & Entertainment Park - Vientiane’s Newest Attraction

The National Ethnic Cultural Park (NECP) has been transformed and is now called “Inpeng Culture & Entertainment Park” which includes a large water park with beer gardens, restaurants, cafes, souvenir stores and a museum as well as the former Ethnic Cultural Park.
Our J&C team spent a fun day at the new water park, which includes many different pools, all of them with different sizes & shapes, and also different depths; there are also pools dedicated to ….. Continue reading →

Posted in Tourism - Hotels, Transportation - Vehicles, Travel - Excursions - Venues | Tagged | Leave a comment

Thieves Target Vehicles For Break-Ins

Posted on 28/07/2014 by J&C Admin
Thieves Target Vehicles For Break-Ins

Thieves breaking vehicle windows to steal property inside is becoming a major problem with police currently investigating numerous incidents, according to a district official last week.
An investigating official from Chanthabouly police office told press on Friday they were following up several reported incidents regarding groups of criminals targeting people’s cars and trucks by breaking vehicle windows for the valuables inside them.
A victim from Sisavath village said she was only recently ….. Continue reading →

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Spilling The Beans: Uncovering Vientiane’s Hidden Coffee Houses

Posted on 28/07/2014 by J&C Admin
Spilling The Beans - Uncovering Vientiane’s Hidden Coffee Houses

The volcanic soil of the South around the Bolaven Plateau has made coffee one of Laos’ largest exports. Inside the country, a sophisticated coffee culture is growing. Sabaidee Magazine followed the beans to some of their lesser-known destinations in Vientiane, away from the daily grind. Continue reading →

Posted in Expat Community Laos, Restaurants & Cafes | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

EDL’s Installation Of Different Meters Raise Questions

Posted on 28/07/2014 by J&C Admin
EDL's Installation Of Different Meters Raise Questions

Questions about the installation of different meters were raised by members of the public as they thought that if the meter was spinning faster it meant they were going to be charged more on their monthly bills.
The Vientiane Power Distribution Department’s Electricite du Laos (EDL) explained to media representatives last friday there are actually two types of meter, smaller and larger sizes, with the larger turning more slowly than the smaller one but the speed of rotation had …. Continue reading →

Posted in Utilities (Water, Electricity etc) | Tagged | Leave a comment

China’s EximBank Suspends Loans For Roads, Bridges in Laos

Posted on 25/07/2014 by J&C Admin
China's EximBank Suspends Loans For Roads, Bridges in Laos

Export-Import Bank of China (EximBank), the official export credit agency of the Chinese government, has suspended loans for infrastructure and construction projects in Laos, saying it would prefer to only finance mining and hydro-power ventures, according to Lao sources.
The move is seen by some as an indication of Beijing’s concern over its neighboring communist ally’s ability to repay loans for such projects as roads and bridges in the absence of immediate guarantees.
In the mining sector, for example, natural resources act as …. Continue reading →

Posted in Investments, Lao Economy | Comments Off