Vietnamese businesses in Laos
In the imagination of many people, Attapeu is a distant, strange land, but in reality, when passing through Bo Y Border Gate of Vietnam and Phu Cua Border Gate of Laos, you have set foot in Attapeu. Attapeu provincial capital is 113km from the border gate, about two hours by car.
Route 18B was built and put into use in 2006, is the main traffic route connecting the southern provinces of Laos with the sea through Bo Y Border Gate (Kon Tum). From here, Lao goods are transported to seaports in the central region of Vietnam and to all over the world .
Arriving at Attapeu via Route 18B, hidden in the mist is a vast primeval forest. Nestled in the old forest are the Lao sticky rice fields cultivated by the local people for one crop and the Sekaman River, the main water supply for Attapeu province as well as the large farms of many Vietnamese enterprises investing in Laos.
Among dozens of Vietnamese enterprises investing in Attapeu province, we visited two large enterprises investing in the agricultural sector: MTX Nam Lao Agricultural Investment and Production Company Limited (under Truong Hai Group) and Khanxay Development Company Limited (under Hoang Anh Gia Lai Group). MTX Nam Lao Agricultural Investment and Production Company Limited currently has 6,500 employees and is expected to reach 12,200 employees by the end of 2025.
Mr. Doan Ba Phi - General Director of the company said: "The number of workers working at the farm is only enough to meet the labor demand for the company's production and business activities in Attapeu province".
Through Mr. Doan Ba Phi's introduction, we can feel his dedication as well as the difficulties that businesses have to overcome when investing in production and business abroad.
From the harmonious and comprehensive planning between the working area and the living area, kitchen, common living area, sports and entertainment of workers to seemingly small but not small issues such as daycare, primary school culture classes for workers' children, convenience stores at original prices, auto repairmen, barbers, housing for couples, taking workers home for regular leave... All are taken care of and carefully arranged by the company's leadership team.
Mr. Doan Ba Phi also humorously painted a near future: "In the near future, many cadres and workers will meet each other, get married, have children, and then we will have whole villages living stably here!"
Ensuring workers' lives
On high-chassis vehicles covered in the thick dust of the red soil typical of the Attapeu plateau, the Quang Nam delegation was taken deep into the farms where the laborers lived and worked. Here, workers operated feed cutters, grinders, and loaders to transport feed to specialized vehicles to the livestock pens.
At the barns, there are teams of workers who take food and pour it into the troughs and clean the barns to ensure a clean grazing environment and prevent disease.
The living and kitchen areas of the Quang Nam workers working here are scientifically arranged and clean. In the prefabricated rooms, each room has 4-6 beds, a toilet and a drying area. Outside is a sports area with table tennis, badminton, volleyball courts, etc. The kitchen located in the central area is a place for exchanges, meetings and parties for all workers in each factory.
Ms. Bhnước Bang (from Nam Giang district, working as a cow breeder) confided: "The job and income here are stable, the company provides food and accommodation so I can save money to send back to my family, I just worry about having to travel far each time I go home."
Joining the delegation, Mr. Chau Van Ngo - Vice Chairman of Nam Giang District People's Committee encouraged the workers to work hard, comply with the company's rules and regulations, live a healthy life, and save income to support their families and relatives in their hometowns.
The group continued their journey through the factory that processes bedding for cows. Here, rubber trees that are no longer able to produce latex will be chopped and mixed with biological products to create bedding for cows. After a period of use, the bedding will be collected to make biological fertilizer for banana trees and other fruit trees. This creates a closed farming and planting process with no waste or chemical fertilizers.
At the bedding processing factory, some Nam Giang mechanics are repairing a tree chipper with a broken engine. Mr. Tran Van Xuan said: “Before going to Laos, we were trained and granted a certificate in machine repair at THACO College, ensuring the operation and repair of all types of machines in the company, without interrupting the production process. We get to go home once a month, riding a motorbike through Dac Oc Border Gate for about 5 hours to get home.”
From May 25 to 29, 2025, the Department of Home Affairs of Quang Nam province organized a working delegation in Attapeu province to learn about the thoughts and aspirations of Quang Nam workers working in factories and farms in Attapeu province. At the same time, they met and discussed with representatives of enterprises and local authorities about the labor situation in Quang Nam and the need for labor recruitment in the coming time; difficulties and obstacles when sending Vietnamese workers to work at enterprises; and policies to support workers of enterprises.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/khi-nguoi-lao-dong-huong-ngoai-tren-nhung-nong-truong-o-attapeu-3156648.html
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