New Nam Theun 2 hydropower dam changes life in Laos

One of the biggest hydropower dams in southeast Asia, the Nam Theun 2 project in Laos, has officially opened.

The dam, which cost more than $1.2bn, will provide electricity to neighbouring Thailand and much-needed income to one of the poorest countries in the region.

Thousands of people had to move to make way for the project, but as Guy De Launey reports, new opportunities seem to have softened the blow.