Economy and industry
Road safety efforts ‘insufficient’

A new study warns that a UN initiative to cut global road deaths in half by 2020 is on course to fail amid “clearly insufficient” efforts, with middle- and lower-income countries such as Cambodia at the forefront of the battle. Keep reading ...
ILO seeks to raise attention on slavery

A new global treaty from the International Labour Organization (ILO) is calling on governments to step-up their commitment to tackling modern slavery in countries like Cambodia where forced labour remains endemic. Keep reading ...
Singapore, Malaysia among biggest investors in Vietnam: report

Eight out of 10 member states of ASEAN have made investments in Vietnam with a total pledge of $56.32 billion for 2,681 projects, the Foreign Investment Agency recently reported. The cumulative investment figure was recorded at the end of September and was up 8.6 percent from ...
Vietnam blocks Chinese apple imports over island dispute
China’s apple exporters will have to come up with new, non-controversial packaging if they want to resume sending the fruit to Vietnam, authorities said on 22 October. Keep reading ...
Thai Union enforces strict ethics for tuna supplies
Thai Union Group, the world’s largest tuna canner, has stopped receiving supplies from about 1,200 fishing boats in Thailand over the past one to two years as part of its strictly-enforced code for responsible sourcing and conduct. As part of its global rebranding launched on 18 September, the ...
Thailand must do more for investors, says Citi chief

While political and policy risks have been among the biggest concerns for foreign investors in recent years, other issues such as bureaucracy, legal enforcement and business restrictions perhaps weigh even more heavily on Thailand’s competitiveness. Darren Buckley, country head of Citi Thailand and president of the American Chamber of ...
Chinese-built bridge opens in Phnom Penh
A new Chinese-built bridge in Cambodia’s capital opened for public use on 22 October, having taken about three years to complete at a cost of $27.5 million. Keep reading ...
'Renewable energy' plans steady growth

Renewable energy is one of the main sectors expected to engage in more merger and acquisition (M&A) activity offshore in the next three to five years, according to Kasikornbank. KBank, one of the major banks involved with corporate fund-raising, on 21 October shared its views on the upward ...
Thai franchises in line for tax perks

The government is considering privilege packages for Thai franchises in a bid to promote them in the world market. Deputy Commerce Minister Suvit Maesincee, who presided over the opening of the “Excellent Thai Franchise” event on 21 October, said the franchise business still had a lot of ...
Xayaboury province bans further investment in banana farms
Xayaboury province will impose restrictions on banana farms following reports which suggested that farms in several provinces had used harmful chemicals which leaked into the soil and threatened local livelihoods. Governor of the northwestern province, Mr Phongsavanh Sitthavong, recently informed the media that Xayaboury would allow ...