Economy and industry
Board of Investment falls far short of 2015 investment target

Thailand’s Board of Investment said on 12 January it approved applications worth about 800 billion baht last year, missing its target of 1.4 trillion baht, but up from 724.7 billion baht in 2014. The investment agency did not meet its target in 2015 as some applications were submitted ...
Southern rubber growers in Trang to discuss demands

Leaders of rubber growers in the South met in Trang province on 12 January for a meeting with the provincial governor and to discuss their demands that the government help increase the price of rubber. About 30 representatives of southern rubber growers gathered at the Trang branch ...
Thai Government set to divert water from key rivers

The Thai government plans to divert water from rivers which form natural boundaries with Thailand’s neighbours into major dams in a long-term measure to battle drought. Suphot Tovichakchaikul, chief of the Department of Water Resources, said on 11 January that aside from the country’s local sources, water ...
Rescues of trafficked migrant workers surge

More than 500 trafficked Cambodian migrant workers were rescued abroad and sent home in 2015, a huge increase compared to 2014 numbers, though largely attributable to a handful of mass repatriations from Indonesia. According to a report by the Foreign Ministry, 573 workers were returned home ...
Tollway has residents worried

More than 150 people living along the railway line gathered at the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation on 11 January, demanding information about the plans for a new elevated toll road that is to connect Phnom Penh’s city centre to the airport. The protest was ...
Luang Prabang drawing more Chinese visitors
A large number of Chinese tourists are expected to visit Luang Prabang province this year and may constitute the largest number of all nationalities visiting the world heritage site. Last year most visitors to the northern town came from Thailand, with Chinese nationals ranking second. An official ...
China-Lao rail workers may reach 100,000
The total number of workers needed for the Laos-China rail project throughout the five years of its construction could reach 100,000 people, Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somsavat Lengsavadhas has said. Keep reading ...
Vietnamese companies perform well in Laos

Vietnamese businesses have performed well in Laos and contributed to local economic growth over the last five years despite the lingering impact of the global economic crisis, a report revealed. Delivered at a congress of the Vietnam Business Association in Vientiane, Laos late last week, Laos ...
Hanoi plans measures to reduce traffic jams

Hanoi aims to reduce up to 10 traffic congestion hotspots and limit the duration of traffic jams to less than 30 minutes, People’s Committee Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung said. Speaking at a conference on ensuring traffic order during the Lunar New Year Festival, Chung said traffic ...
PVN encouraged to expand gas, oil exploration activities

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai requested the National Oil and Gas Group (PVN) to continue to search for new sites, and produce more oil and gas in 2016. He described these activities as a key task for the sector in 2016. Speaking at a conference ...