Economy and industry
Laos merely a bystander as China pushes Belt and Road ambitions
An ambitious $6 billion high-speed railway project in Laos that would link China with the Laotian capital of Vientiane on the Thai border is meant to be a symbol of cooperation under Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship Belt and Road Initiative. But with Beijing calling ...
Marimi Kishimoto
Myanmar eyes China’s trade plan for much-needed infrastructure
Construction minister rejects claims of a crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine, a hub for Chinese investment.Minister for Construction U Win Khaing told the Asean and Asia Forum in Singapore on Thursday that his country needed to improve its infrastructure quickly to cope with the ...
Liu Zhen
Help for Cambodian, Lao local schemes
Thailand is to provide the know-how and expertise to help develop community-based tourism (CBT) in Laos, Cambodia and Bhutan. This will be the first time the three countries are working closely with Thailand specifically on CBT development, after joining forces on cross-border tourism, logistics and connectivity, ...
Suchat Sritama
Rail link to Thailand a step closer
As an agreement on railway transportation materializes, Cambodia and Thailand are set to hold a ceremony early next year to celebrate the official opening of the line that will connect Phnom Penh and Bangkok, a representative of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MPWT) ...
Chea Vannak
People-centred ASEAN: not quite there
ASEAN has come a long way since its founders signed the Bangkok Declaration half a century ago. Like any organic body, it has evolved and adapted to stay alive and relevant. The following is a broad summary of key transformations over the past five decades ...
Hoang Thi Ha
TMB and IMG over merger and acquisitions help to Thai companies
TMB Bank and ING Corporate Finance Asia have announced a partnership to provide a full range of services to Thai companies seeking to expand across borders through merger and acquisitions. [] The partnership would help companies across a broad range of industry sectors to expand in ...
Laos closing Bt14 bn bond deal to fund infrastructure
LAOS has issued Bt14 billion in bonds in the Thai capital market in a placement that closes today, said Adisorn Singhsacha, founder and managing director of Twin Pine Group Co Ltd, a financial adviser on the deal.The issuance, by the Lao Finance Ministry, marks the ...
Somluck Srimalee
Myanmar publishes first socio-economic report for investors
The Directorate of Investment and Company Administration (DICA) in partnership with the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) have published a detailed report entitled The Socio-Economic Atlas of Myanmar.For the first time, the report will provide official details and statistics on Myanmar’s geography, population and climate ...
Htin Lynn Aung
World Bank cuts growth forecast for Myanmar amid slowing investments
[] “Myanmar’s macroeconomic environment remains stable, though economic growth is slowing to 5.9pc in 2016-17 compared to 7pc in 2015-16, weighed down by slower investment demand,” the Washington-based lender noted.Despite notable reforms and strong foreign investment commitments, investment demand decelerated as private investors bided their time ...
Thompson Chau
Thailand warned over firms fleeing abroad
Political uncertainty over planned reforms and public infrastructure projects are perceived as the top concerns for investors considering doing business in the country, according to the World Bank’s latest Thailand economic monitor. As Thai companies spend less at home, they are shifting to invest in opportunities ...
Jesus Alcocer