Lao users of mobile phones, especially those having limited English competency, now can send SMS in Lao language to their friends and relatives, after the new mobile phone SUN TEC i720 was introduced last week.

Mr Sithong Thongkeo, Deputy Minister of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction (CTPC), and representatives of different authorities witnessed the official opening ceremony of SUN TEC i720 held at the Lao Plaza Hotel, Vientiane on 14 September.

The Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Construction of Laos has cooperated with two companies from Thailand and China in developing the software capable of recognising Lao font since 2006.

"This is the first mobile phone able to read Lao language ever developed since the foundation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic," said Mr Snith Xayphakdy, Deputy Director of Post and Telecommunication Department of minister of CTPC.

copied from: KPL

Dear all,

It would not be good, if I posted the article but I do not read. Thank you very much all of you for taking your time to read and post your comments. I really appreciate your contribution. I must accept that in the article that I had posted there were lots of mistakes, I knew them after posting, because my eyesight is not good and my English is poor. No wonder people in America want to teach us with English American standard. It would be great if you can do. Lao people would welcome the move. I also accept that they know English well and better than me. It might be perhaps my background was not good. I learnt French language in school. After that, I had studied in Russia or former Soviet Union. I know Russian quite well because I had studied there for about 10 years. I have started learning English just before I came to Singapore. That's a reason I am a poor English person compared to my daughter who is belonging to new Lao generation, she knows English better than me.

Brief history

Looking back to the past time, as we know Laos had been powerful and big country since King Fa-Ngum up to King Xayasetha. However, after that Laos was under Siamese and later French colonies. In1954 Laos declared independent. In 1975 Laos declared independent from the so called American neo-colony. Under presidency of King Souphanouvong, Laos was declared to be Lao People Democratic Republic.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 Laos has struggled to find its position within a changing political and economic landscape.

Hope for brighter future of Laos

Laos, a mountainous land-locked nation of about six million people, has been making the transition to a market economy since 1990. Although it has been among the poorest nations in the world, the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic, as it is known, has made great headway in the battle to reduce the grinding poverty that afflict so many of its citizens.

Lao-Vietnam relationship speech was heard in Lao embassy in Singapore on September 2, 2007. The speech was lectured by HE Thuan Vorasane, the Ambassador to Singapore, dedicating to 30^th anniversary of Lao-Vietnam treaty on Border Demarcation and 45^th anniversary of diplomatic relations of the two countries. The participants in the meeting were Lao embassy staffs and most of Lao students in Singapore.

GO-FAR is a NTU student team, who went to Laos between 29th July - 6th Aug 2007. They have taken some photos and writen stories about Laos. They will go Laos again the coming recess week (21st Sep - 30th Sep 2007). For photos, stories, aand more detail about them, You can visit their blog : http://gofar2007.wordpress.com/