The Government has announced new measures to ensure that the upgrading of the That Luang area will be completed in time for the 450-Year Anniversary of Vientiane in November.
The municipal authorities recently reported that the expansion of the That Luang esplanade has been hampered by lack of funds. Renovation work at the famous temple was also halted because of insufficient budget. These problems will soon be a thing of the past due to a new agreement signed yesterday with the Shenzen Golden Goose Entertainment Corporation.
At the signing ceremony, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that the agreement represented a win-win-win situation. “The renovations will be completed on time, the investor will earn some profit, and the government will gain a new source of revenue that will contribute to lifting the country out of poverty”.
Following the success of similar investments in Luang Namtha, Savannakhet and Bokeo, the new That Luang Casino will be the first gambling venue to be established in the centre of the capital city. It will include a 5-star hotel, shopping mall and entertainment complex.
The proximity of the new casino to the Bueng That Luang is no coincidence, according to a spokesman for Vientiane Department of Planning. “With up to 250,00 people moving into this part of the city over the next few years, they will need somewhere to spend their money. We all know how much the Chinese love gambling, so this is a great opportunity for us to get something back from them”.
Responding to a question about the cultural suitability of building a casino next to the county’s most famous temple, the spokesman said that the annual That Luang Festival has been the biggest commercial event in the country for hundreds of years. ”Now we will be able to make money at That Luang for the whole year instead of only one week”.
He went on to explain that part of the proceeds from the casino will be donated to the temple, as a result of which gamblers will also be making merit. As part of the new plan for That Luang, the management of the temple will be transferred from the Religious Affairs Department of the Ministry of Information and Culture to the newly established State Assets Liberalization Executive within the Ministry for Foreign Investment and Revenue Extraction.
The change in responsibilities would have little affect on the day-to- day operations of the temple, said the Director General of FIRE-SALE. “We can assure everybody that there are no plans to resettle the monks. Some will be allowed to perform in a daily cultural show, while others will be retrained as waiters and croupiers”.
The Vientiane Times was informed that a number of buildings close to the That Luang temple will be demolished to make way for the casino. This includes a noodle stall, a motorbike repair shop, and the National Assembly.
What da FCUK!!! Is the government telling joke? If no ability, no need to celebrate. The government is doing the worse thing ever. That Luang, the place where all LAO people both in Laos and abroad are respected most. But the government is allowed to build the casino beside!!!! All of my life, I never feel really bad to the government issues before. But this time, I STRONGLY DISAGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What da FCUK!!! Is the government telling joke? If no ability, no need to celebrate. The government is doing the worse thing ever. That Luang, the place where all LAO people both in Laos and abroad are respected most. But the government is allowed to build the casino beside!!!! All of my life, I never feel really bad to the government issues before. But this time, I STRONGLY DISAGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think we should not be a in hurry to criticise about this until there is realisable sources. I am sure our government will only do things that provide benefits for our country.
This is nothing but a pure smear campaign and fabrication by a desparate Lao Patikan. The remaining Lao Patikan are in the verge of total extinction. The changes in th US foreign policy towards Lao PDR in the past years, is a sure sign of the Patikan's demise.
Anonymous wrote:
That Luang: The Golden Temple
Vientiane Time, 01 April 2010
The Government has announced new measures to ensure that the upgrading of the That Luang area will be completed in time for the 450-Year Anniversary of Vientiane in November.
The municipal authorities recently reported that the expansion of the That Luang esplanade has been hampered by lack of funds. Renovation work at the famous temple was also halted because of insufficient budget. These problems will soon be a thing of the past due to a new agreement signed yesterday with the Shenzen Golden Goose Entertainment Corporation.
At the signing ceremony, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that the agreement represented a win-win-win situation. “The renovations will be completed on time, the investor will earn some profit, and the government will gain a new source of revenue that will contribute to lifting the country out of poverty”.
Following the success of similar investments in Luang Namtha, Savannakhet and Bokeo, the new That Luang Casino will be the first gambling venue to be established in the centre of the capital city. It will include a 5-star hotel, shopping mall and entertainment complex.
The proximity of the new casino to the Bueng That Luang is no coincidence, according to a spokesman for Vientiane Department of Planning. “With up to 250,00 people moving into this part of the city over the next few years, they will need somewhere to spend their money. We all know how much the Chinese love gambling, so this is a great opportunity for us to get something back from them”.
Responding to a question about the cultural suitability of building a casino next to the county’s most famous temple, the spokesman said that the annual That Luang Festival has been the biggest commercial event in the country for hundreds of years. ”Now we will be able to make money at That Luang for the whole year instead of only one week”.
He went on to explain that part of the proceeds from the casino will be donated to the temple, as a result of which gamblers will also be making merit. As part of the new plan for That Luang, the management of the temple will be transferred from the Religious Affairs Department of the Ministry of Information and Culture to the newly established State Assets Liberalization Executive within the Ministry for Foreign Investment and Revenue Extraction.
The change in responsibilities would have little affect on the day-to- day operations of the temple, said the Director General of FIRE-SALE. “We can assure everybody that there are no plans to resettle the monks. Some will be allowed to perform in a daily cultural show, while others will be retrained as waiters and croupiers”.
The Vientiane Times was informed that a number of buildings close to the That Luang temple will be demolished to make way for the casino. This includes a noodle stall, a motorbike repair shop, and the National Assembly.
hey i am Lao living in u.s. and i never ever think like that guy who posted this. all i can is from my experience is that those who always try to say bad things about my mother land Lao are not Lao ethnic if you know what i mean.
i love my mother land.
and i always want to see our Lao people comet together and create a better world for all Lao people.
hey i am Lao living in u.s. and i never ever think like that guy who posted this. all i can is from my experience is that those who always try to say bad things about my mother land Lao are not Lao ethnic if you know what i mean.
i love my mother land.
and i always want to see our Lao people comet together and create a better world for all Lao people.
long live the Lao
I hope you meant " country" and not wold, because there is not only Lao people in the world.
I believe the guy who said the bad things are not Laotian, must be one ethnic of Laos. I understand these people never consider Laos as their country. They try to damage Laos and hate Lao people. They are not grateful to the country of Laos as their mother land.
What da FCUK!!! Is the government telling joke? If no ability, no need to celebrate. The government is doing the worse thing ever. That Luang, the place where all LAO people both in Laos and abroad are respected most. But the government is allowed to build the casino beside!!!! All of my life, I never feel really bad to the government issues before. But this time, I STRONGLY DISAGREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think we should not be a in hurry to criticise about this until there is realisable sources. I am sure our government will only do things that provide benefits for our country.
PS, I am a Lao student in Oz, too :)
Hope too cos I have born there and have lived there over 20 years. I always believe the Governments is always trying hard to develop our country in the right way.... I wish it wont have any casino near the place. Otherwise, I need to know that the person who gave interview that some of income will refer to That Laung, means they are doing merit while they are playing casino... ****!!!! The most silly idea and thought!!!
It was me who posted this topic and I was amazed at how you guys reacted to this or jump into conclusions without verifiying first about the validity of this report.
Does anyone here shelling out some money to subscribe to Vientiane Times to get hardcore news directly from the Lao leading news paper? Or you just rely on free-news?
This came from another Lao site I think its good enough to share. I myself was taken aback at first reading this news then I realized there is something wrong with the source: Vientiane Time... should it come with an "s"... as in "Vientiane Times." A journalist can commit mistake in anypart of the news article but not on the credit to and spelling of the source, it's a mortal sin.
Oh, yes and the date....Apr. 1 ...HA ha HAPPY APRIL FOOLS EVERYONE!
I miss my friend BLM here, he cant be fooled that easily He never jumped into conclusions without his facts ready to support his ideas.
Lastly, yes, Im not Lao but I dont mean to bring harm, I only want to share some fun!. Lao su su!
Im not a Patikan neither do I came from Vatican... but I like to greet everyone Happy Easter! Ladies, enjoy your "egg" hunting!!! (pun intended! LOL)
And the A-go-go bar in the hotel, the dancers and customers making merit as well... Boom boom in the rooms busy making merit... BeerLao and sao-servs making merit... The monks chanting and the worshipers giving alm making merit... All these activities happen in one place at That Luang!
