Laos has its first-ever Eurovision act: Thinla will represent the country at Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026. The organisers announced her on the official Eurovision Asia website on 13 September, ahead of the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia Grand Final in Bangkok on Saturday 14 November. The singer is chosen. The song is not. Thinla performs three candidate entries on Sieng Lao: The One, and the public decides which one goes to Bangkok.
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That puts Laos alongside Vietnam and Malaysia: a named artist, an unknown song. I read the official announcement, calendar, voting terms and booster price list against the fan press. One widely read article gives the wrong month, and almost nobody mentions the voting rule that matters most in a three-song show.
Key takeaways
- Thinla is Laos’s act. Formerly Thinlamphone, she was named on 13 September 2026, the sixth of eleven artists confirmed.
- The public picks one of three songs. Sieng Lao: The One airs on 23 September at 15:30 CEST (20:30 ICT). After a 24-hour online vote, the results show airs on 24 September at 15:30 CEST.
- It is September, not October. A 15 September Eurovoix article says 23–24 October. The official site, its calendar and Eurovoix’s own earlier report say September.
- The spread rule bites hard. Votes must cover at least three songs, so every counted ballot backs all three. A free voter can give their favourite 6 of 8 votes at most.
- Nothing to bet on yet. Polymarket had no Eurovision Asia market on 17 September.
In this article
- Key takeaways
- What the organisers announced
- Who is Thinla?
- Sieng Lao: The One dates, and the October mix-up
- How to vote for the Laos song, including from abroad
- Why a three-song vote changes the maths
- Laos in the Eurovision Asia 2026 field
- Laos and Eurovision Asia 2026 betting
- Frequently asked questions
What the organisers announced about Laos and Thinla
This came from the contest itself, so there is no rumour stage to work through. The eurovisionasia.com post, dated 13 September 2026, says Thinla “will become the first artist to represent Laos at the Contest” and invites viewers to “help choose the song”. The broadcaster is VTE9, Vientiane Capital Television. This site previously used the initials VCTV. The organisers use VTE9, and so do we from now on.
The key details: two episodes, three potential entries, and a vote held on the Eurovision Asia website, not by phone. Both shows stream worldwide on the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel and air on VTE9 in Laos. Song previews were promised for the contest’s Instagram and TikTok “in the coming days”, but no titles had been published anywhere I could find by 17 September.
Who is Thinla?
Thinla recorded as Thinlamphone until recently, so older streaming and festival listings use that name. The organisers describe her as a popular Lao artist who has put out more than 20 releases on digital platforms since 2021. Her sound blends traditional Morlum with pop, R&B and dance. They also point to a recent US tour, which they credit with a jump in streams and views from North America.
According to the organisers, she has represented Laos at the Round Festival in Busan, South Korea, and performed at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and the 45th ASEAN AIPA ceremonies. Her AXEAN Festival profile adds that she was born in Champasak, moved to Vientiane, and began her singer-songwriter career in 2015. It also lists first place at a Lao and Chinese artist competition in Vientiane in 2018 and second place at a music festival in Hạ Long Bay, Vietnam, in 2020. So 2021 marks the start of her digital releases, not of her career.
For the market, she is a culturally rooted pop artist, not a safe balladeer. That makes the song choice decisive. A Morlum-led entry and a straight pop track would be very different bets in Bangkok, and until the previews appear nobody outside the production knows which way the three songs lean.
Sieng Lao: The One dates, times and the October mix-up
The organisers published CEST and ICT times. I have added UTC.
| Date | Event | CEST | ICT (Vientiane, Bangkok) | UTC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 13 Sep 2026 | Thinla announced on eurovisionasia.com | – | – | – |
| Wed 23 Sep 2026 | Sieng Lao: The One: three songs performed, voting opens | 15:30 | 20:30 | 13:30 |
| 23–24 Sep 2026 | 24-hour online voting window | Exact close announced on air and on the voting page | ||
| Thu 24 Sep 2026 | Results show: Laos’s song revealed | 15:30 | 20:30 | 13:30 |
| Sat 14 Nov 2026 | Eurovision Song Contest Asia Grand Final, Bangkok | Time not yet published | ||
In the UK, both shows start at 14:30 BST. Now for the conflict. On 15 September Eurovoix published a follow-up saying Thinla would perform her songs “on October 23”, with the results “on October 24”. That article opens its date line with “As previously reported”, but the Eurovoix article it refers back to, published on 13 September, says September 23 and 24.
I rechecked the official site on 17 September. The announcement, the calendar and the Countries & Artists page, which files Laos under 24 September, all still say September, as do ESCToday and ESCXTRA. October would also break the calendar, where Cambodia’s Finest Voice on 17 October is the last selection show. We trust the official site: 23 and 24 September. The October dates look like a typo. If the show moves, we will update this page.
How to vote for the Laos Eurovision Asia 2026 song, including from abroad
You do not need to be in Laos to vote. The official voting terms and conditions, last updated on 28 August 2026, say voting in national selection shows “is open to anyone, wherever you live”. The Grand Final ban on voting for your own country does not apply at this stage. The practical steps are:
- Be 18 or over. The terms require it.
- Go to eurovisionasia.com/vote on the web. Voting is web-only. It does not work inside the Zoop mobile apps, even though Zoop supplies the voting technology.
- Sign in with Google, Apple or Privy, give the voting consent and pass the automated check. You may be sent a one-time code by email.
- Spread your votes across at least three songs and confirm before the window closes. For Laos, that means all three.
VPNs, proxies, multiple accounts, bots and vote-trading are all banned, and the organiser, Voxovation, can void votes even after a result. The booster pack of 10 votes costs ₭21,000 in Laos and €6.00 outside the participating countries, both before tax. You can buy one pack per show, and paid votes carry the same weight as free ones.
Why a three-song Eurovision Asia vote changes the maths
The fan coverage skips this part. Every voter gets 8 free votes, which must be spread across at least three different entries, and “votes that do not meet this requirement will not be counted.” In a ten-act show that is a nudge. With exactly three songs, it means every counted ballot gives at least one vote to every song. Put all 8 on one song and none of them count. Europe is watching this rule, as we explained in our piece on the eight-votes system.
| Ballot | Total votes | Most for one song | Split | Favourite’s lead over each rival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free votes only | 8 | 6 | 6 / 1 / 1 | 5 votes |
| Free votes + booster pack | 18 | 16 | 16 / 1 / 1 | 15 votes |
| All votes on one song | 8 | – | 8 / 0 / 0 | 0: none counted |
The caps come from the terms: 18 votes per person, 16 per entry and 10 paid votes per show. The last column is my arithmetic. The compulsory single votes cancel out, so what separates the songs is what voters stack on a favourite. One booster buyer moves the gap three times as far as one free voter: 15 votes against 5.
That lead only counts inside a pool. Section 8.1 of the terms splits national selection results into three separately ranked pools: voters living in the host country (40%), a jury (40%) and Rest of World voters (20%). Because each pool is ranked before they are combined, overseas votes cannot swamp the Lao vote. At most they win the 20% share. A tie on combined points goes to the song with more domestic points.
That leaves the jury. On paper, a jury holds 40% of every national selection result. But the Laos announcement mentions only the audience vote, and no Lao jury has been named. Eurovoix’s 15 September article says “the public and jury” will choose. The 50% jury / 50% televote split in ESCToday, ESCXTRA and Eurovoix is the Bangkok Grand Final rule from section 8.2, not the rule for Sieng Lao: The One. Until a Lao jury is named, treat 40/40/20 as the published rule rather than something confirmed for this show.
Where Laos sits in the Eurovision Asia 2026 field
With Thinla confirmed, six of the eleven countries have named an artist and three have a song. The table below matches the official Countries & Artists page and calendar as of 17 September. Nepal has moved from 19 September to 7 October. That leaves Laos as the next selection to resolve, followed within a week by host nation Thailand and by Bangladesh, each of which has ten acts on the official site.
| Country | Selection | Date | Artist | Song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇧🇹 Bhutan | Rhythm of Bhutan | 11 Aug | Nyendra | Lhayi Semo (The Angel) |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia | Artist reveal | 15 Aug | Aina Abdul | Not released |
| 🇵🇭 Philippines | Philippine Selection Night | 30 Aug | Carmelle | Sobra-Sobra |
| 🇰🇷 South Korea | Korea’s Next Wave | 4 Sep | JUNHEE | DEEP DIVE |
| 🇱🇦 Laos | Sieng Lao: The One | 23–24 Sep | Thinla | Public picks 1 of 3 |
| 🇹🇭 Thailand | Thailand’s Chosen One | 27 Sep | 10 acts | TBC |
| 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | Voice of Bangladesh | 30 Sep | 10 acts | TBC |
| 🇻🇳 Vietnam | The Sound of Vietnam | 3 Oct | Tóc Tiên | Chosen 3 Oct |
| 🇳🇵 Nepal | Nepal Decides | 7 Oct | TBA | TBA |
| 🇲🇳 Mongolia | Mongolia’s Chosen One | 10 Oct | TBA | TBA |
| 🇰🇭 Cambodia | Cambodia’s Finest Voice | 17 Oct | TBA | TBA |
The closest parallel is Vietnam with Tóc Tiên: a known singer, with the song left to a televised show. But Laos gives the choice to a public vote under published rules, while Vietnam’s show is producer-led and its voting method is unpublished. For background on the Lao music industry, see our Laos at Eurovision Asia 2026 page.
Laos and the Eurovision Asia 2026 betting picture
We checked Polymarket’s Gamma API on 17 September 2026. There is no Eurovision Asia market of any kind: no winner market, no country market, no market on the Laos song. The only open event under Polymarket’s Eurovision tag was Eurovision 2027 Participants, with 14 country contracts. I have not found a bookmaker pricing the Asia contest either. That means there are no odds on Thinla to quote, and we will not make them up.
The first real signals will be the song previews, then the result on 24 September. The Grand Final is split 50/50 between jury and public, so a Morlum-led song and a mainstream pop song would make very different jury cases. For the European contest, where markets are open, see our Eurovision winner odds. 18+. Please gamble responsibly.
Frequently asked questions
Who is representing Laos at Eurovision Asia 2026?
Thinla, the Lao singer formerly known as Thinlamphone. The organisers announced her on 13 September 2026 as the first artist to represent Laos at the contest. She blends traditional Morlum with pop, R&B and dance.
When is Sieng Lao: The One?
The performance show is on Wednesday 23 September 2026 at 15:30 CEST (20:30 ICT). The results show is on Thursday 24 September at the same time. Both stream on the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel and air on VTE9 in Laos.
Is the Laos selection in September or October?
September. The official announcement, calendar and Countries & Artists page all say 23 and 24 September. A 15 September Eurovoix article says October, but that contradicts Eurovoix’s own 13 September report and the official site as of 17 September.
Can I vote for the Laos song from outside Laos?
Yes. The official voting terms open national selection voting to anyone aged 18 or over, wherever they live. Voting is web-only at eurovisionasia.com/vote, with sign-in through Google, Apple or Privy. Votes from outside Laos count in the Rest of World pool, worth 20%.
How many votes do I get, and do I have to vote for all three songs?
You get 8 free votes per show, and you can buy one booster pack of 10 more. Votes must be spread across at least three songs, and Laos has exactly three, so a counted ballot includes all of them. The most you can give one song is 6 votes, or 16 with the booster.
Does a jury help pick the Laos song?
The official voting terms weight every national selection 40% domestic vote, 40% jury and 20% Rest of World vote. The Laos announcement mentions only the audience vote, though, and no Lao jury has been named. The 50/50 split quoted in the fan press is the Grand Final rule.
What are the names of Thinla’s three songs?
They had not been published when we checked on 17 September 2026. The organisers said previews would appear on the contest’s Instagram and TikTok accounts.
Are there betting odds on Laos at Eurovision Asia 2026?
No. Polymarket had no Eurovision Asia market of any kind when we checked on 17 September 2026, and we have not found a bookmaker pricing the contest.
Sources: Eurovision Song Contest Asia, 13 September 2026; official calendar and booster terms read 17 September 2026; Eurovision Asia voting terms, updated 28 August 2026; Eurovoix, 13 September 2026. Polymarket checked through the Gamma API on 17 September 2026.
Photo: Eurovision Song Contest Asia (eurovisionasia.com).