New Magazine about Laos: Sabaidee Lifestyle and Travel

So there is another Magazine available, in Lao and English, targeting the young and not so young but mioddle and upper class professionals. Read it at http://sabaidee-magazine.com/ with the crappy issuu reader or go hunting for a printed issue. Although a iphone app was mentioned on the cover I could not find it in the app store. In their own words, "Sabaidee Travel & Lifestyle Magazine is a bi-monthly English-Laotian language publication. It features articles on travel destinations, lifestyle, arts and cultures in Laos along with news and updates on hospitality, products, business, tourism and trade."

When I was browsing through it, I couldn't find a lot use- and helpful content. It is actually a advertorial magazine, pleasing the advertisers, and praising the country. Selling Luang Prabang is a nice effort, but with insane hotel rates the best story can't cover that. The mag seems to be written to satisfy the customers who pay the ads. But, since it is distributed in "hotels, corporate offices, embassies, coffee places and other tourist gathering places in Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Pakse, Hauy Xai, Vang Vieng, Savannaket", it is at least worth skiping through the pages. The layout and design is state of the art and well done. Sabaidee is sold as well for 25.000 KIP, but I wouldn't pay any money for advertorials and stories already told (how many "off the beaten track" stories we have now in Laos?) like the culture of Lao coffee (never told before), Lao street food (wow!) and for sure totally honest and objective hotel reviews. I am not sure if this really fits to the expat market (I actually doubt it), but it might be nice for some tourists coming the first time to Laos and want some prove that the country is what the guide books say.