Regional news from Southeast Asia in English — ASEAN politics, economy and diplomacy, covered by Thai PBS World.
A former member of Singapore‘s ruling party on Saturday scored a landslide victory to become the city-state’s president, in an election seen as a barometer of public sentiment amid economic challenges and high-profile scandals. Former deputy prime minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, 66, won 70.4% of votes, the elections department said, to become Singapore‘s head of state. The country is a parliamentary
With the demand for imported goods in the US and EU decreasing, many Vietnamese companies are looking to the Thai market for their export products this year. According to Mr. Puripan Bunnag, senior vice president of the Convention and Exhibition Department of Thailand, in the first half of this year, about 35,000 people from Vietnam
JAKARTA, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Myanmar’s military government has ordered East Timor’s top diplomat to leave the country, the government of East Timor – a vocal critic of Myanmar’s leadership – said in a statement condemning the rare action. Myanmar’s government, which assumed power in a coup in 2021, has not made any announcement on
Jakarta – To promote digital innovation and sustainable economic growth in East Asia, ASEAN’s research think-tank, the Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), launched the Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economic Centre (DISC) in Jakarta on August 24, 2023 The event was presided over by Airlangga Hartarto, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, and
Newly appointed prime ministers Srettha (Thailand) and Hun Manet (Cambodia) have vowed to work together and strengthen bilateral relationships, according to the Khmer Times. Hun Manet called Srettha on Tuesday evening. During the call, the two leaders congratulated each other for being elected prime minister on the same day. Hun Manet said “Both governments are
Cambodia’s parliament on Tuesday elected long-time ruler Hun Sen’s eldest son as the new prime minister, sealing a dynastic handover of power after last month’s one-sided polls. Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) won all but five seats in the lower house in the July election, which was widely decried as a sham after the
Construction of the Thai-Chinese high-speed train between Bangkok and the north-eastern border province of Nong Khai is progressing satisfactorily, with the construction of the 250.77km section between Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima province already almost 40% complete. For the second section, between Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai, State Railways of Thailand (SRT) has recently completed the
A light plane crashed into a four-lane road near Malaysia’s capital on Thursday, killing eight people on board and two motorists on the ground, the local police chief said. The plane exploded into a fireball on impact, with thick black smoke seen rising from the site, video clips from the scene showed. “For now, I
Legs in iron chains and unable to roam freely, the treatment of two elderly elephants at the Hanoi public zoo has drawn outrage in Vietnam, with animal rights groups demanding the pair be relocated. The groups are calling for the two female elephants — Thai and Banang — to be released to a national park,
One of Vietnam’s most historic towns, Hue, is packed with relics from the reign of the 19th-century Nguyen emperors. From 1802 to 1945, Hue was the capital of Vietnam and home to the Nguyen dynasty. After the Vietnam War, Hue’s unique history fell into ruin, as the imperial era wasn’t viewed favorably by the communist
Myanmar’s Asean chairmanship will give up its chair in 2026 due to the domestic situation and the country’s unpreparedness, according to diplomatic sources.The chair will be taken up by the Philippines and Myanmar will follow up the following year in 2027. Laos People’s Democratic Republic will succeed Indonesia as the next Asean chair next year.
The Thai Chamber of Commerce has set a target to increase bilateral trade between Thailand and Vietnam to US$25 billion next year, with the expectation that young entrepreneurs and start-ups in the two countries will play an increasing role in achieving this, according to Sanan Angubolkul, chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) and
