Jonathan Fairfield

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2:56 p.m.) — The chief of the Philippine National Police ordered Sunday the immediate conduct of the summary dismissal proceedings against a police officer who was accused of sexually abusing a quarantine violator in Mariveles, Bataan. Police Patrolman Elmer Tuazon Jr., 24, stands accused of sexually harassing an alleged violator, together with Armando Dimaculangan, who was the marshal team leader assigned at the police-manned quarantine control point in Barangay Batangas 2. In a statement, Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said that criminal complaints of Rape by Sexual Assault and Acts of Lasciviousness have been lodged against the two suspects with the prosecutor saying probable cause exists for the said crimes and recommends that criminal information be filed in court. Full story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/08/29/2123437/pnp-chief-vows-probe-cop-sexual-abuse-quarantine-violator -- © Copyright Philstar 2021-08-30

By Hannah Brockhaus via Catholic News Agency VATICAN — Complaining and blaming others is a waste of time; the way to defeat evil is to conquer it first within our own hearts, Pope Francis said Sunday. “If we look inside, we will find almost all that we despise outside. And if, sincerely, we ask God to purify our heart, that is when we will start making the world cleaner,” the pope said in his weekly Sunday Angelus message. “Because there is an infallible way to defeat evil: by starting to conquer it within yourself.” From a window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis spoke Aug. 29 about the need to stop blaming others for everything wrong in the world and in our lives. Full story: https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2021/08/30/199109/pope-francis-complaining-is-poison-for-the-heart/

MANILA, Philippines — An “overwhelming” number of victims back the International Criminal Court Office of the Prosecutor’s request for a full investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte and his men’s “war on drugs,” an initial report by the ICC Registry said. The ICC Registry’s Victims Participation and Reparations Section (VPRS), in its public redacted report dated August 27, said it found that “victims overwhelmingly support an investigation by the ICC prosecutor into all crimes against humanity allegedly committed in the context of the so called [‘war on drugs’] in the Philippines between 1 November 2011 and 17 March 2019.” The ICC Registry a “neutral organ of the Court” that provides services to other organs of the ICC. Its services include support for victims to participate in proceedings and apply for reparations. The VPRS said it received a total of 212 representations, but following legal assessment, it transmitted 204 victim representations to the Pre-Trial Chamber, which is deciding whether it would grant the request of the OTP to launch a full investigation into the Philippines. Full story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/08/30/2123621/icc-victims-overwhelmingly-support-investigation-philippine-drug-war -- © Copyright Philstar 2021-08-30

File photo CAMP OLIVAS, City of San Fernando, Pampanga: Fourteen Chinese were arrested on Sunday for alleged illegal gambling in Angeles City as Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) continued to press its war against illegal-gambling activities in Central Luzon (Region 3). In his report to PRO3 Regional Director BGen. Valeriano de Leon, Col. Rommel Batangan, city director of the Angeles City Police, said at about 2:30 on Sunday morning, the Regional Field Unit of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the CIDG Provincial Field Unit-Pampanga and the officers from Police Stations 2 and 5 of the Angeles City Police Office conducted a raid at the second floor of a building along Friendship Highway in Angeles City, Pampanga that resulted in the arrest of the 14 suspects. De Leon identified those arrested as Harry Zhang, Frank Wang, Harry Wung, David Wang, Abu Deng, Abu Yang Jin, James Zhang, Zhou Bin, Yang Bing, Zho Ya, Lan Mi, Lao Hai Ping, Jacky Lau and Henry Yuan. Full story: https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/08/30/news/regions/14-chinese-arrested-for-illegal-gambling/1812815 Manilla Times - 2021.08.30

- It’s a key ingredient in Filipino cuisine, but the large chains and companies that use it benefit from underpaid workers with little to no legal protection - A proposed new bill looks to establish formal rights for those in the shadow economy, but it’s still a long road to a fair wage Even when she’s not at work, the scent of garlic lingers on Marites Arendain’s calloused palms – her “garlic hands” are the legacy of years spent peeling bucket after bucket of the pungent vegetable. She earns 80 pesos (US$1.60) for the 15kg sack of garlic she peels each day, a tiny fraction of the minimum wage of 537 pesos (US$10.70) in Manila – just enough to buy her family of eight a kilogram of rice and some dried fish. “Peeling garlic the whole day burns my hands, especially when it is fresh or thick,” Arendain said. There is a robust demand for garlic, a key ingredient in Filipino cuisine, from small restaurants and large fast-food chains in the Philippine capital. Baseco, a poor community near the city’s port, is where a lot of that garlic is peeled before it ends up in boxed meals, tinned goods, or the fancy dishes of luxury hotels. Full story: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3146491/garlic-peelers-manila-under-skin-philippines-informal-economy -- © Copyright South China Morning Post 2021-08-30

Silang (Philippines) (AFP): For more than a year, Caspien Gruta has been teased because his circumcision -- a rite of passage for boys in the Philippines -- was delayed, first by a volcanic eruption and then the coronavirus pandemic. "I worry if I don't get circumcised now, I will be shamed," said Gruta, 12. The Philippines has one of the highest rates of circumcision in the world, with many seeing the centuries-old practice as key for boys to enter manhood. Even as circumcision comes under increasing scrutiny elsewhere, with some critics branding it "child abuse", it is rarely questioned in the Philippines and boys face tremendous pressure to undergo the procedure. Every year, thousands of pre-teens have the operation for free at government or community-sponsored clinics. Full story: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210830-philippine-circumcision-season-underway-after-virus-delays -- France 24 - 2021.08.30

FILE PHOTO: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks during the arrival ceremony for the first COVID-19 vaccines to arrive in the country, at Villamor Air Base in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, February 28, 2021. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez MANILA (Reuters) - A row between rival factions in the Philippines's ruling party escalated on Sunday when a group led by boxing star Emmanuel Pacquiao tried to remove President Rodrigo Duterte from his role as party chairman by electing their own. Refusing to recognise the decision, Duterte's supporters said he was still chairman and branded the other faction as "pretenders and attention seekers". Pacquiao, Duterte and their respective supporters have been trying to wrest control of the PDP-Laban party ahead of elections in May by unilaterally electing their own members to leading party roles. The faction supported by Duterte recently booted out Pacquiao as party president, but Pacquiao has refused to step down. The two men fell out in June after Pacquiao criticised Duterte's stance on the South China Sea territorial dispute with China, while the latter lashed back by lambasting the boxer's "shallow" foreign policy knowledge. Pacquiao and his allies in the party elected Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III as chairman, according to one of his backers, the party's executive director Ron Munsayac. Duterte's backers refused to acknowledge Pimentel's election. "President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is the PDP Laban party Chairman. He remains to be so and will continue to be so," the group led by Duterte said in a statement. The head of the Philippines' election commission was cited last week as saying it would have to decide based on documents and the party's constitution which faction is the legitimate representative of PDP-Laban. Last week Duterte, who has been in power since 2016, said he would run for the vice presidency in May 2022 elections under the PDP-Laban banner. Under the constitution, a president can serve only one six-year term. The party is due to hold a national convention on Sept. 8 where it is expected to endorse Duterte's aide and incumbent senator Christopher "Bong" Go to be its presidential candidate. Pacquiao, who was on his way home following his loss in the Aug. 21 boxing match with Cuban Yordenis Ugas in Las Vegas, has said he would announce next month if he will run for president in 2022. (Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) -- © Copyright Reuters 2021-08-30

FILE PHOTO: A top view of the holiday island of Boracay during the first day of a temporary closure for tourists, in Philippines April 26, 2018. REUTERS/Erik De Castro MANILA (Reuters) - Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has lifted a moratorium on casino operations in the country's top holiday island to generate taxes for its COVID-19 pandemic response, the presidential spokesperson said on Saturday. The firebrand leader has had a longstanding opposition to gambling, halting the construction of new casinos in the Philippines, one of Asia's fastest-growing gambling markets before the pandemic. "The president has given his go signal allowing the operation of a casino in Boracay," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement. Casino operations in Boracay, the Philippines' top tourist draw, should follow coronavirus restrictions and keep children away from gambling activities, Roque said. He did not say if the lifting of the moratorium would be temporary or permanent. Strict and lengthy coronavirus lockdowns last year battered the Philippine economy and hit tax revenues. No casinos currently operate in the 10-square-kilometre (4-sq-mile) Boracay island, famed for its powdery white sands, turquoise waters and lively night life. The move augurs well for provisional casino license holders like the Philippines' Alliance Global Group Inc, and the partnership of Leisure & Resorts World Corp and Macau's Galaxy Entertainment Group. In 2018, Duterte rejected Galaxy's plan to build a $500 million integrated casino resort in Boracay. Alliance Global will proceed with its casino project in Boracay where it has several hotels and a golf course, company chairman Andrew Tan said in a statement on Saturday. "We are very hopeful that the tourism industry in this island will recover fast after the pandemic." Galaxy can start its operations focusing on foreign gamblers, Alfredo Lim, president of the gaming regulator, told Reuters. Galaxy and Leisure & Resorts World did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside office hours on Saturday. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Christina Fincher) -- © Copyright Reuters 2021-08-30

Chonburi – A 40-year-old driver has been pronounced dead at the scene after he crashed his pickup truck in Mueang Chonburi District early this morning. The Mueang Chonburi Police was notified of the accident at 4:30 A.M. this morning (August 28th) on Sukhumvit Road in the Klong Tamru sub-district. Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find the damaged pickup truck. The driver, Mr. Channarong Krutthong, 40, from Chachoengsao, was found deceased inside the cab, and rescue workers were unable to immediately free him. Full story: https://thepattayanews.com/2021/08/28/driver-killed-in-chonburi-pickup-truck-crash-during-heavy-rain-third-death-from-recent-rain-in-local-area/ -- © Copyright The Pattaya News 2021-08-29 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

915,738 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered in Thailand on Friday, the highest number of inoculations given in a single day since mass vaccinations began in the country on February 28th. According to the CCSA, of the doses administered yesterday, 547,128 were first jabs, 361,284 were second jabs and 7,326 were third, or booster shots. Since February 28th, a total of 30,420,507 doses of vaccines have been administered across the country. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/record-number-of-covid-19-vaccinations-in-single-day-on-friday-in-thailand/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-08-28 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha urged the public and private sectors and all Thais today (Saturday) to apply the 10-point “Smart Control and Living with COVID-19” concept, so the country can overcome the coronavirus crisis. In his Facebook post, the prime minister said that it is recognised globally that COVID-19 is constantly mutating and spreading rapidly and easily. So, the realistic objective is not to get rid of the disease, at huge social and economic cost, but to live with the disease “safely and in a balanced way,” said the prime minister, as he explained the concept, which is designed to control the contagion while enabling people to live their lives safely. He said that some aspects of the concept have already been implemented, resulting in a reduction in daily infections, while the remaining points are to be implemented from of September 1st. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/thais-urged-to-adopt-smart-control-and-living-with-covid-19-concept/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-08-28 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

The public is watching closely to see if the scandal over a drug suspect shown tortured to death at a police station will trigger reforms or merely deepen the flaws of the Royal Thai Police. At the center of the scandal, which has made global headlines, is former rising star Thitisan Utthanaphon – a police colonel with a penchant for supercars. Dubbed “Jo Ferrari”, Thitisan is also frequently pictured with good-looking female celebrities on his arm. What happened? On August 6, the death certificate of 24-year-old drug suspect Jirapong Tanapat recorded an amphetamine overdose as the likely cause of death. No suspicions were aroused until lawyer Decha Kittivittayanan urged an investigation into reports that police officers in Nakhon Sawan had arrested Jirapong on August 5 before suffocating him to death at the station during an attempt to extort Bt2 million. Police had freed his alleged female accomplice in exchange for her promise to keep quiet about the killing, Decha told his 500,000 Facebook followers. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/the-high-rolling-career-of-joe-ferrari-top-cop-in-corruption-spotlight/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-08-28 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Provincial health officials in Thailand’s Samut Prakan province have decided to separate a field hospital for COVID-19 patients, in Banag Pla sub-district of Bang Phli district, into male and female zones, after it was discovered that some patients were being accused of engaging in sexual activity and drug abuse. Police and local administration officials went to the field hospital yesterday to investigate, after officials filed a complaint alleging improper conduct by some of patients. The authorities checked CCTV footage and conducted a search of an area, where the men and women were seen gathering together, and found 23 packs of cigarettes and some electronic cigarettes, but no illicit drugs were found. Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/field-hospital-gender-separated-after-alleged-sex-scandal-involving-patients/ -- © Copyright Thai PBS 2021-08-28 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Thailand will lift most coronavirus restrictions on retail and dining from next month and permit gatherings of up to 25 people in Bangkok and other high risk areas, its COVID-19 task force said on Friday. Easing restrictions and adjusting measures were necessary to revive the economy safely, the task force said, as the country battles its worst coronavirus outbreak and struggles to ramp up vaccinations, with only 1 in 10 people inoculated so far. From Sept. 1, shopping malls, salons, barber shops, foot massages and sports fields in 29 high-risk provinces including Bangkok, are allowed to resume operations, while restaurants can open to diners, the task force said. Authorities asked business operators to ensure service staff are fully vaccinated and regularly tested with antigen kits, and to require customers to show proof of vaccination and negative tests. Thailand reported 18,702 new cases and 273 new deaths on Friday, among some 1.14 million cases and 10,587 deaths overall, the overwhelming majority since April. Its current struggle is with the highly transmissible Delta variant of the virus, which has seen record deaths during August. "We need to adjust the way we handle and live with the disease safely... by adjusting strategy and build confidence so disease control measures are in line with reviving the economy safely," task force spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangsan told a briefing. Reuters contributed to this report -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-08-27 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Thitisan Utthanaphon, nicknamed ‘Jo Ferrari’, pictured in a green t-shirt Following conflicting reports during most of Thursday afternoon, police have now finally confirmed the arrest of fugitive Pol Col Thitisan Utthanaphon, nicknamed ‘Jo Ferrari’. He reportedly surrendered to a search team across the border in Myanmar in Myawaddy, before being brought back to Mae Sot on Thursday afternoon. ‘Jo Ferrari’ is the officer wanted in connection with the torture and murder of a suspected drug dealer while in police custody. Earlier this week, a leaked video showed ‘Jo Ferrari’ and other officers suffocating the suspect by placing plastic bags over his head in an alleged extortion effort. Investigations into the incident found that ‘Jo Ferrari' owns no less than 29 cars, many of which are luxury sport cars, despite officially only earning a salary of 43,000 baht per month. Police chief Gen Suwat Jangyodsuk was due to hold a press conference about the arrest at 9pm on Thursday. This is a developing story, this post may be updated without warning. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-08-26 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

A vaccine extraction machine called AutoVacc, designed by the Chulalongkorn University's Biomedical Engineering Research Center to extract extra doses out of AstraZeneca vaccine vials, is seen in Bangkok, Thailand August 23, 2021. Picture taken August 23, 2021. REUTERS/Juarawee Kittisilpa By Juarawee Kittisilpa BANGKOK (Reuters) - As Thailand struggles with its worst coronavirus outbreak yet, researchers in the country have developed a machine to draw out COVID-19 vaccine doses more efficiently and optimise lower-than-expected supplies. Using a robotic arm, the "AutoVacc" system can draw 12 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in four minutes from a vial, according to researchers at Chulalongkorn University, who made the machine that has been used at the university's vaccination centre since Monday. That is up 20% from the standard 10 doses drawn manually, they said. The machine only works on AstraZeneca multi-dose vials currently and labels show each vial can provide 10 to 11 doses. "The machine guarantees with accuracy that we can gain an extra 20% from each vaccine vial - from 10 to 12 doses," said Juthamas Ratanavaraporn, the lead researcher of the team at the university's Biomedical Engineering Research Center. "The extra 20% that we get means that if we have AstraZeneca for 1 million people, this machine can increase the number of doses to 1.2 million people," said Juthamas. While some health workers using low dead space syringes (LDSS) that aim to reduce wastage can draw up to 12 doses per vial, it requires manpower and a high level of skill, she said. "This could drain a lot of the health workers' energy. They would have to do this every day for many months," Juthamas said. Thailand had kept COVID-19 largely under control for much of the pandemic, but more virulent variants like Delta have sent cases and deaths soaring since April, ramping up pressure on authorities to increase the pace of vaccinations. So far, around 9% of Thailand's population of more than 66 million have been fully vaccinated, with the rollout hindered by lower-than-anticipated vaccine supplies. The research team say they should be able to produce 20 more AutoVacc units within three or four months, but that government funds and support would be needed to expand across the country. The prototype machine costs 2.5 million baht ($76,243), including other materials like syringes, said Juthamas, adding that while they were open to export opportunities, that was something for the future. They also plan to make similar machines to use with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, she added. Juthamas said the machine was aimed at removing burdens on health workers. Thailand has reported around 1.1 million COVID-19 infections and 10,085 deaths in total, pushing parts of the health system to the brink. "When the health workers are too tired, there are also chances of human error, so we should let the machines work on this," she said. ($1 = 32.7900 baht) (Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da Costa) Discover Cigna’s range of health insurance solutions created for expats and local nationals living in Thailand - click to view -- © Copyright Reuters 2021-08-25 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Existing participants of the Malaysia My Second Home programme say they can’t meet stricter financial criteria to renew visas The scheme, which is popular with those from mainland China, has been revised to attract more wealthy foreigners but visa agents say the new rules are too prohibitive After Mansur and Moina Khan from Bangladesh secured long-term visas to reside in Malaysia in 2014, they bought a condo worth at least 1 million ringgit in the heart of the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and moved there in 2017. “We invested our life savings in Malaysia,” said Mansur, who like his wife, is in his 60s and retired. “We loved living here, its multiracial people and food. We are law-abiding visa holders and wished to spend a hassle-free retirement in Malaysia,” he added. But for the past 14 months, they have been stuck in Dhaka, having gone there to attend to a family emergency. Despite being fully vaccinated and having made numerous appeals to the Immigration Department, the couple cannot return to Malaysia as the Southeast Asian nation has banned incoming travellers from 23 nations including Bangladesh due to their Covid-19 caseloads. Full story: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3145410/its-our-only-home-malaysias-changes-mm2h-visa-scheme-throw -- South China Morning Post - 19 Aug 2021

Image: Reuters file photo More than 41,000 expats in Thailand have registered for a COVID-19 vaccine using the Expatvac registration platform. According to stats released on Thursday (Aug 5) by Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Tanee Sangrat, a total of 41,616 expats in Thailand have registered for the vaccine using the Expatvac website. Of those who have registered, 32,563 are aged under 60, while 9,053 are over 60. Those suffering from underlying health conditions totalled 3,038, while 172 pregnant expats also registered. Mr Tanee said that over a third of those registering were located in Greater Bangkok. Earlier, Mr Tanee said that he expects people to start receiving vaccine appointment dates from August 10 and 11. Priority will be given to the over 60s, pregnant women and people with underlying health conditions. It is understood 150,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which was recently donated to Thailand by the United States government will be used to vaccinate expats in Thailand. Expats in Thailand who have not yet registered to receive a vaccine are urged to do so here: https://expatvac.consular.go.th/ -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-08-06 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

A new vaccine registration website for foreigners in Thailand will open on August 1, it has been announced. According to a post on the Thai government's official Facebook page, the new registration website, which is available at: https://expatvac.consular.go.th/ will live go live on Sunday morning. "A new platform for COVID-19 vaccine registration for foreign residents of all age groups in all provinces in Thailand will be available on 1 August 2021 at 11.00 a.m" "Foreign nationals aged 60 - 74 who have already registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ website will have their records moved to this new vaccination site soon", the post reads. No information on who will able to register for the vaccines, or if certain groups will be prioritised, was available at the time of posting. The schedule of when vaccines will be administered and which vaccine doses will be used was also not known. The news comes as the Prime Minister on Friday confirmed that some of the Pfizer vaccines recently donated by the United States will be given to foreigners in Thailand. -- © Copyright ASEAN NOW 2021-08-01 - Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you - Follow ASEAN NOW on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

Planning to Move to Laos – Five Reasons to Become an Expat in Laos Expats move abroad for many reasons. Some sign up for a new job, some move looking for a more affordable place, while others desire a relaxed and enjoyable retirement. The small Asian country of Laos ticks almost all the boxes when it comes to being a popular expat destination. Lets talk about some reasons to become an Expat in Laos. The beautiful and peaceful landlocked country of Laos was an overseas colony of the French until the 1950s. During the 1950s, a conflict broke out between the royal forces and the communist resistance, which went on for about 20 years. In the long struggle, the communist forces prevailed, leading to the establishment of a communist government that has continued to govern the country since. Over the years, Laos has become a part of several global organizations, including the World Trade Organization, which accepted the country’s membership in 2014. One of the few aspects that Laos still lags in is its not-so-efficient healthcare system. Those who wish to seek any major or complex medical care and treatment often cross the Mekong River to go to hospitals in Nong Khai or Bangkok in Thailand. However, that’s just one of the major things that expats have to forego after become an Expat in Laos. They may choose to overlook it because of the many amazing and distinct things about this beautiful country. The fact that Laos is one of the best countries for retirees and has a minimal crime rate, only makes it an even more preferable nation to settle in permanently. Continue reading: https://goexpat.com/5-reasons-to-become-an-expat-laos/ -- GoExpat.com

BY ANDREW NELSON Flavorful. Soulful. Beautiful. Head to Louangphabang to taste the best of Southeast Asia. Sometimes a portal isn’t a door. It’s a bowl of soup. Raise a spoonful of tom kha kai, a traditional Laotian coconut chicken soup, to your lips, and a tantalizing perfume of lemongrass, lime, and galangal wafts upward. Its scent is sublime and earthy, hot and sour. The fragrant plume comes with a peppery kick. The sensation is vivid, somehow poignant, and utterly transporting. The memory brings a smile as I stand in a line of passengers at Louangphabang airport, in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. I’ve traveled 9,000 miles to Southeast Asia inspired by Van Nolintha, a charismatic 32-year-old Laotian-American restaurateur in Raleigh, North Carolina, whose inventive renditions of his childhood dishes from his native land have earned the acclaim of diners and food critics alike. Now I’ve come for a taste of the real thing. Upon leaving the airport, my first views of Laos are the Phou Thao and Phou Nang mountain ranges, which surround the ancient royal city of Louangphabang like an embrace. The slopes are lush with trees that comb and catch the low-lying clouds. As I enter the city, a cluster of motorbikes overtakes my taxi, trailing fumes and impatience. A teenage girl, sitting sidesaddle in a Laotian silk tube skirt called a sinh, flashes past. Her face is inches from her smartphone. She’s texting furiously, oblivious to her young driver and the pushy traffic puddling up behind us, which includes four Toyota vans packed with Chinese tourists. Their wide-brimmed sun hats curl against the steamy windows. Continue reading: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/what-to-eat-and-where-in-luang-prabang -- National Geographic

Single Entry 30 days and 3-months visa to Cambodia 1. 3-months visa Source: https://www.evisa.gov.kh/ 2. 30-day tourist visa There is also a 30-day tourist visa available to travelers in advance or on arrival for most nationalities for a cost of $30 if you get it directly at the airport. The tourist visa is single entry only, and can be renewed once for an additional 30 days for a fee of between $30 and $50. The validity of the visa refers to the time you have to enter Cambodia. The visa is valid for 30 days from the actual date of entry into Cambodia. Make sure your passport is stamped on arrival, and keep the departure form. If you lose your departure form, you’ll need to contact immigration officials before you leave the country to make alternative arrangements. You can be fined, detained and deported if you overstay your visa. There is a fine of $10 per day for overstaying the validity term of your visa. There is no limit to this fine. Those who overstay more than 30 days will need to leave Cambodia in addition to paying the fine. Source: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cambodia/entry-requirements