Economy and industry
Unionists arrested by undercover police out on bail
Two unionists jailed since February 2 have been released on bail by the Kompong Speu Provincial Court in Cambodia, officials said on 10 March, although they remain charged with incitement and intentional violence in connection with a protest outside the Cerie garment factory. Keep reading ...
Samrin sends questions over Vietnam’s army ELCs to PM
More than a month after rejecting a letter from an opposition lawmaker pressing the government for answers about plantations in Cambodia’s Ratanakiri province controlled by the Vietnamese army, National Assembly President Heng Samrin this week forwarded a revised version to Prime Minister Hun Sen. Keep reading ...
NBTC to close 900MHz network after row

Thailand’s mobile signals for second-generation (2G) SIM cards on the 900-megahertz spectrum network will be cut off after midnight on 14 March, according to Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) on March 11. Keep reading ...
Thais still motivated to travel

Thai sentiment for travel remains upbeat and many are willing to spend more on their trips despite the poor economic conditions and escalating concerns about deflation. Keep reading ...
Controversial union law set for final review

The head of the National Assembly’s legislation commission of Cambodia said he hoped to have a controversial draft union law passed “very soon” after the latest round of feedback from unions and employers during a public workshop at Parliament on 9 March. Cambodian People’s Party parliamentarian ...
B70bn loan offer for affordable housing
Thailand’s Finance Ministry plans to offer 70 billion baht in pre- and post-financing loans for its affordable housing scheme under the Pracha Rat (People’s State) initiative, finance permanent secretary Somchai Sujjapongse said. Of the total, 40 billion baht will be for post-financing and the remaining 30 billion ...
Price control for drinking water

The Thai government is putting drinking water on the special price control list to protect consumers in the face of the drought. Wiboonlasana Ruamraksa, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said authorities were closely monitoring the impact of the drought, which has arrived earlier this year. Keep reading ...
Kasy-Maed road link eases travel in Vientiane province
Even though the construction of a 60-km road linking Kasy and Maed districts is far from complete, travel between the two urban centres of Vientiane has already become easier. Project Manager Mr Somnam Vongphachanh talked to media last week about the progress made on the road ...
Yangon's real estate challenge

After a pause while investors awaited the outcome of elections, the property market in Myanmar’s biggest city is picking up again, but some sectors will do better than others. Myanmar has experienced dramatic changes economically and politically over the past few years. As foreign investors rush ...
Thailand pushes for next-generation automotive

Thailand has stressed its desire to be the manufacturing hub for eco and hybrid vehicles. During his meeting with top executives of Japanese auto makers on 7 March, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said that these cars would pave way for the manufacturing of high-technology electric ...