Laos swamped by foreign investment

http://nz.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/article/-/9467322/laos-swamped-by-foreign...

BOTEN, Laos (AFP) - The language is Chinese, change is given in yuan and the time is set for Beijing -- but the Boten casino is in Laos, not China.

This impoverished country is overrun by investments from the more powerful neighbours that surround it, and is struggling to impose a development strategy.

The casino and garishly-coloured hotels have been developed in Boten over the past five years, against a backdrop of mountains a stone's throw from the Chinese border.

Laotians are not welcome in this Chinese-controlled new town, which is far from the only example of China's widespread presence in this landlocked communist country of about six million people.
The Chinese projects are on a large scale -- mines, dams, a high-speed rail project, agricultural concessions -- and have led to concerns in the small nation.
"The Chinese presence is on everyone's lips. It's a subject which Laotians have started to talk about increasingly overtly and more critically," said a Laos-based foreign expert.
China, and also Vietnam and Thailand, "use Laos as an extension of their territory", agreed Dominique Van der Borght, of Oxfam Belgium in the Laotian capital Vientiane.
Long reliant on foreign aid, Laos is now the subject of massive foreign investment.
According to official figures, the inflows rose from $51 million in 2001 to $13.6 billion last year, led by the three neighbouring countries with more than $8 billion in 2010.

llX wrote on 18^th May, 2011 at 9:55pm:

Good thing government don't allow Lao citizens to gamble at the casinos.



Larb Dip wrote on 19^th May, 2011 at 1:15am:

Las Vegas, Nevada is all about gambling and casino. They seem to do ok and has about 40 million visiter a year. I like my freedom and think all Lao citizens should be allow to gamble if they want too.  If more people gamble that also mean more profits for casino and revenue for the government. They also need to hired more worker. There's pro and con.

I have to agree.

FUUUCCCKKK THE COMMIES!!!

Since this website is locted in the USA, I can say shittt like this and not have to worry about consequences or repercussions or both!

Larb Dip wrote on 20^th May, 2011 at 1:49am:


How do you know this website is located in the USA?

So there are more than one Miss Admins or (Mr. Admins) working 24/7?

Admin Saovaluck wrote on 20^th May, 2011 at 7:50am:

LaoCowboy, I am the only admin of this forum, but they have like 20 sister sites with designers, photographers and others involved behind the scenes. My role is to look after the forum on LaoPride.com