(June 14, 1998) The Australian construction firm, Transfield, is confronting a dilemma familiar to many companies operating in Asia: should it weather the current economic crisis, or get out. The "out" option must be looking highly preferable for Transfield as it views the massive dam project it is involved with in central Laos.

(May 28, 1998) Canada is spending millions of tax-dollars to influence Thai schoolchildren that nuclear power is good for the cash-strapped Southeast Asian country.

(May 25, 1998) Energy shortages have forced the Government to fast-track the construction of $230 million 259MW Se San 3 Hydropower project in the south of the country.

(May 23, 1998) HA NOI-Viet Nam’s biggest hydroelectric power plant at Hoa Binh has been forced to reduce its output because water levels in its feeder reservoir have fallen below the 80m dead water mark.  This is the first time the Hoa Binh plant has had to cut its operations since it opened in 1988.

(May 1, 1998) THE Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) has decided to postpone power purchases from Laos’ six major power projects with a combined capacity of 2,963 megawatts by at least one year from the original schedule of 2006.  This follows a significant downward revision of Thailand’s power demand projections.

(May 1, 1998) Governor Kongsak Liewmanorom yesterday opposed the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant in the province and called for a public hearing before any decision is made.

(April 8, 1998) One of the most powerful and enigmatic leaders in Laos has been removed from the head of the country’s biggest firm.  After building up the military development firm Bolisat Phakhana Khet Phoudoi, General Cheng Sayavong is now directing the National Tourism Authority as it gears up for Visit Laos Year 1999.

(April 6, 1998) Thailand’s economic crisis is raising questions over the energy exporting hopes of neighbouring Laos  As two giant turbines begin to roar in the middle of the jungle, Laos is starting to become the "battery of Asia." Last week the $280m Theun-Hinboun dam began producing electricity for neighbouring Thailand, the first of what Laos hopes to be as many as 21 dams spanning this poor landlocked country.

(April 4, 1998) A report yesterday by the US-based International Rivers Network warns that thousands of villages are being affected by the dam but are unlikely to be compensated.

(March 1, 1998) A concession agreement for the Nam Ngum II project was signed by the government of the Lao PDR and the Shlapak Group Co, Ltd on March 17 at the Lao Hotel Plaza.

(March 1, 1998) The World Bank spoke openly for the first time this week about its strong commitment to the Nam Theun 2 hydro-electric dam in Laos and vowed it would not drop the project because of pressure from the public outside the country.

(November 17, 1997) Seldom has an Asian electricity project been so dogged before it has been given the formal go-ahead as the 681 MW Nam Theun 2 dam project in Laos. But that is the case with this project in Laos’ central highlands, endorsed by the operations committee of the World Bank on October 31.