Economy and industry
Trade pacts urged to ease impact from protectionism
Thailand should work towards a swift finalisation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership to offset the prospect of protectionism in global trade, the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce says. With the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration in the United States seen likely to ...
Mandalay to fulfill clean water demand by 2020
Mandalay City Development Committee’s Water and Sanitation Department has kicked off a plan to supply 100 percent of the demand for drinking water to all seven townships within the district by 2020. Currently, clean potable water supply in Mandalay is only available in five townships ...
Agricultural sector and SMEs to receive private bank loans
The Central Bank of Myanmar will make it compulsory for local private banks to grant a minimum percentage of their loans to the agricultural sector and the small and medium-sized enterprises sector, Central Bank director general U Win Thaw told the Myanmar Times. During a meeting held by ...
Power in South stable without Krabi plant: academics
Academics said on February 28 that the southern region would still have stable power generation in the near future even without the proposed Krabi coal-fired power plant, although Thailand would have to invest in some form of new power generation in the long term. Meanwhile, the Office ...
Thai mine ‘destroyed Myanmar water sources’
People in Heinda district in Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region have been deprived of clean water, amid claims that a tin mine operated by a Thai firm has contaminated the river and water sources with heavy metals. Looking out from the local temple, Myaung Pyo seems like ...
Forest department investigates sizeable seizures of smuggled timber
The forest department has launched an internal investigation in response to sizeable seizures of smuggled timber since late January. On Jan. 24, authorities seized more than 30 tons of smuggled teak from two containers at the Myanmar Industrial Port in Yangon. Further investigations led to ...
Vietnam to cater more to Chinese tourists
The number of Chinese travelers to Vietnam in 2016 accounted for one-third of all foreign travelers. According to the Chinese tourism administration agency, in the last five years, the number of Chinese travelers has increased by twofold to 120 million. One out of every foreign travelers ...
GDP expected to grow at 6.8 percent: IMF
The International Monetary Fund has predicted that Laos’ Gross Domestic Product will grow at 6.8 percent this year, less than the government’s projected rate of 7 percent. The IMF Executive Board concluded the Article IV consultation [1] with Laos recently, describing Laos’ challenges in dealing ...
Palm oil recovers from four-month low
Malaysian palm oil futures recovered late on February 28, tracking stronger prices after hitting their lowest level in nearly four months earlier in the day. Benchmark palm oil futures for May on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended the session 0.6 percent higher at 2,770 ...
Exports driving shift in Thai trade
Cambodian exports to Thailand surged by 46 percent last year compared with 2015 while imports from the neighbouring country decreased slightly, according to statistics provided on February 28 by the Ministry of Commerce. The value of Cambodian exports to Thailand reached $936 million by the end ...