Economy and industry
Chinese to transform coastal provinces
Top Chinese firms are keen to invest in the coastal provinces of Preah Sihanouk and Kampot and are eyeing to develop sectors that service the lucrative tourist industry, said the Tourism Ministry on Friday. According to a ministry statement the intention of the Chinese firms was ...
Capital hoteliers address empty rooms
A lack of tourist attractions combined with overly-optimistic developers has left around 80 percent of Nay Pyi Taw hotel rooms empty on any given day. But the chair of a local tourism industry body believes better marketing can help the city improve its visitor numbers. U ...
Thein Sein recalls Myanmar's reform process
Former president says daunting challenges remain in Myanmar’s democratic transition. “I never dreamt of becoming president,” said Thein Sein, who stepped down as Myanmar president last year after a historic five-year term. Speaking at a regional forum in central Japan, he added that “the situation ...
Poultry export outlook solidly optimistic
Thailand’s poultry export prospects are looking more promising this year, lifted by higher demand and the resumption of fresh poultry imports by many countries after bird flu was brought under control. According to Agriculture Minister Chatchai Sarikulya, the ministry is optimistic Thailand will be able ...
Poipet checkpoint to be upgraded, enlarged
The government has decided to build a new immigration office at the Poipet International Border Checkpoint at a cost of more than $2 million. General Sok Phal, the director general of the Interior Ministry’s immigration department, told reporters on Sunday after an annual meeting with ...
A more direct path for mango exports
Sweet and juicy mangoes grown in Cambodia have been finding their way into top Asian markets for years, but until now only through Thai and Vietnamese brokers, and often repackaged or processed into juices and jams to disguise their Khmer origin. Local producers’ lack of ...
Indonesia among Asia's top destinations attracting investors: ECN survey
Indonesia is among Asia’s most attractive investment destinations, thanks to a robust private demand combined with expectation of improvements in its business climate, a survey from The Economist Corporate Network showed. Published on January 17, the survey — titled “Navigating Asia’s Risks and Rewards: Asia ...
U.S. ambassadors in Asia make final plea for dead Trans-Pacific trade pact
When hope of enacting the ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact ended in November, Max Baucus, the United States ambassador to China, was among the officials who had to grapple with disappointment. The partnership, called the TPP, was a hallmark of the Obama administration. It would ...
Southeast Asia cybersecurity risks have global effect
Cybersecurity vulnerabilities of connected devices in Southeast Asia pose risks to companies far beyond the region, analysts told Bloomberg BNA. The massive October 2016 distributed denial-of-service attack on U.S. websites including those of Netflix Inc. and Twitter Inc., demonstrated that U.S. consumers and businesses aren’t ...
Indonesian government challenges another green group over freedom of information request
The Indonesian government is going to the Supreme Court over an NGO’s freedom of information request for detailed maps of land on which oil palm companies have been licensed to operate in Kalimantan, the country’s portion of Borneo island. Civil society groups have tried for ...
