Regional news from Southeast Asia in English — ASEAN politics, economy and diplomacy, covered by Thai PBS World.
Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin held talks with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet after arriving in Phnom Penh for a one-day visit this morning. Phnom Penh Post reported that the two prime ministers met at the Peace Palace and was scheduled to join a luncheon before laying a wreath at the Independence Monument and the
Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara said Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has chosen Cambodia for his first ASEAN trip because it is Thailand’s close neighbor but a Cambodian academic suggested that it might have to do with the close ties between former leaders of the two countries. Yang Peou, Secretary-General of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, was
Thailand will talk with Cambodia about online scammers who operate along the border when both countries’ prime ministers meet this week, said Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara. The scammers have been annoying and have caused a lot damage for the Thai public, Parnpree said, adding that urgent suppression is needed. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin
Jakarta, Indonesia – An Indonesian court has sentenced a woman to two years in prison and handed her a heavy fine after she recited an Islamic prayer before eating pork in a viral TikTok video widely criticised in the Muslim-majority country. Lina Mukherjee, 33, was found guilty of “spreading information aimed at inciting hatred against religious
Cambodia is looking forward to Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s visit to Phnom Penh later this month, aimed at further boosting ties between the two countries, according to Cambodia’s government spokesman. “We are neighbours and we both have new prime ministers, so it is good to meet each other to continue cooperation and boost ties
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Hundreds of people staged an anti-government rally Saturday in the Malaysian capital, accusing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of helping his key ally escape prosecution in exchange for political support. Prosecutors unexpectedly dropped 47 corruption charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Sept. 4, late in the process of his
Air force chiefs from several countries around Southeast Asia did not attend a conference in Myanmar this week after the ASEAN regional bloc accused the ruling junta of targeting civilians in its post-coup crackdown. The snub came after the ASEAN accused the junta last week of ignoring a peace plan agreed with the bloc to
Fifty-six people died in a fire at an apartment block in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi, police said Wednesday, with witnesses reporting screams from inside and a small boy thrown from the building. Vietnam’s deadliest fire in 20 years started just before midnight on Tuesday (1700 GMT) in the parking floor of the 10-storey building, an area packed
The Srettha government has been urged to make the peace dialogue in the trouble-plagued southern Thailand more inclusive and to involve other stake-holders besides the armed groups believed to be responsible for the years-long violence in the region, according to security sources. It has also been recommended to streamline the work of the various government
A Malaysian court upheld on Tuesday the acquittal of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak on an audit tampering charge in the investigation into corruption at the 1MDB state wealth fund. Najib is serving a 12-year prison term on other graft charges related to the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad financial scandal. The plundering of the fund led to investigations
A moderate earthquake hit Luang Namtha city in Laos early Tuesday morning and the tremors could be felt in Chiang Rai province of Thailand. The 4.1 magnitude quake hit at 3.32am at a depth of one kilometre in Luang Namtha, 94 kilometres northeast of Chiang Rai’s Chiang Kong district. Suwith Kosuwan, an expert at the
Myanmar has received the first shipment of two Russian Su-30 fighter jets, Charlie Than, Myanmar’s trade minister, told the Russian RIA state news agency in remarks published on Sunday. “Two aircraft have already been delivered,” Than told RIA on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, Russia’s annual forum aimed at developing economic cooperation in
