Five years ago, young people had fewer opportunities to get a foot in the door of the entertainment world through modelling, singing, presenting or acting as masters of ceremony.
But since the Ministry of Information and Culture has given the green light to people to operate entertainment businesses, several new recording companies have popped up.
Singing, modelling and beauty contests are also multiplying, giving young people the opportunity to perform and realise their talents. This has meant more jobs in advertising and modelling with companies such as telephone operators or the manufacturers of popular products.
A new model and television presenter, 21-year-old Ms Southida Sisoudachan, or Da, is another young woman who is currently shining in the local entertainment industry in Laos , after her recent debuts as a presenter and model on stage, in magazines and in beauty contests.
Southida has already made a name for herself in Vientiane thanks to her appearance in the Foremost Star Challenge competition in 2004, in which she came in second place.
She acted in a television drama called Namfon in 2005, to raise young people's awareness about undesirable sexual behaviour, before winning a prize in the Noumdee Saoden (Smart Boy and Girl) competition, hosted by the National University of Laos.
She is currently studying at the university, in the Faculty of Economics and Business Management.
Those were just her initial steps into the entertainment world, steps that became leaps and bounds when she started getting jobs on television and as a presenter.
Vientiane Times caught up with her recently to talk about her career as a rising young star in Vientiane .
What events are you currently associated with in the entertainment world?
Apart from undertaking my studies, I'm working as an MC for Women's Talk , a show that's screened on Lao National Television each weekend. I'm on the show with three other young women – Kai, Peggy and Anny – who are all professional singers, models and presenters.
Is your work on Women's Talk challenging?
Definitely! I've been involved in a number of experiences, including modelling, beauty contests and presenting, for which I was not required to speak or act. But in this programme, I have to talk, perform and interview our guests when recording the programme for television. It's so much more difficult!
Since you've become involved in a number of entertainment activities, has your routine changed much?
Um… not really, life is life. Maybe the only real change is that more people recognise me, especially other students at the university.
And I think being associated with entertainment activities, like modelling and beauty contests, has definitely been a positive experience, increasing my confidence and giving me a much smarter attitude. For all of these experiences, I would like to say to thanks to my teachers at my university who backed me at the Noumdee Saoden contest, late last year.
Do you have any makeup secrets, and what is your daily beauty routine?
I don't really have any secrets to share. I just jog sometimes and occasionally I participate in aerobics with my mother, who teaches other people at Horkang (the Chinese Hall on Fa Ngum road), near my house. In my spare time, I enjoy reading books, cooking and playing sports.
