Regional news from Southeast Asia in English — ASEAN politics, economy and diplomacy, covered by Thai PBS World.
Jakarta (AFP) – A strong quake struck off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island early on Monday, sending residents fleeing from their homes, but no damage or victims were reported immediately. The shallow 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit at 4:06 am (2109 GMT) at a depth of 21 kilometres, with its epicentre 167 kilometres west of the
A 25-year-old Thai woman from Bangkok, who was lured to work illegally in Cambodia for a call centre, escaped and fell victim to an organ trading gang, has safely returned to Thailand with the help of Thai police. Assistant to the National Police Chief Pol Lt-Gen Surachate Hakparn travelled to Aranyaprathet district of Thailand’s eastern
The second special ASEAN-US summit has been postponed due to scheduling conflicts among ASEAN participants, according to an informed source. The source said that the proposed dates of March 28th and 29th, announced by the White House on March 1st, were considered “inconvenient” due to the tight schedules of various ASEAN leaders. After President Joe Biden
Malaysia will re-open to all vaccinated tourists from April 1, authorities said Tuesday, joining a growing number of countries removing restrictions in an attempt to live with Covid. The tourism-reliant Southeast Asian country, known for its white-sand beaches and lush rainforests, shut its borders in March 2020 but will now require only a negative Covid test to enter. “The government has decided to
At the 11th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Thailand expressed grave concern over the worsening hostilities and violence in Ukraine. Dr. Suriya Chindawongse, Thailand’s Permanent Representative to the UN, said that the use of military force has led to loss of lives, including those of innocent civilians, and destruction of
Yangon (AFP) – A leading Myanmar actor, singer and model jailed for supporting pro-democracy protests has been pardoned and released, his legal team said on Wednesday. Paing Takhon, 25 — a star in both Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand — had been active in the mass protests that rocked the country following last year’s coup, leading rallies
At least 13 people were killed and four others missing after a tourist boat capsized Saturday in bad weather off the coast of Hoi An, a world heritage-listed Vietnamese city, an official said. The accident occurred as the vessel carrying 39 local tourists and crew members was returning to Hoi An from Cu Lao Cham
ASEAN is “deeply concerned” over the evolving situation and hostilities in Ukraine, according to a statement released Saturday, after Russian troops began military assaults on key Ukrainian cities. “We call on all relevant parties to exercise maximum restraint and make the utmost effort to pursue dialogues through all channels, including diplomatic means, to contain the
At least two people died when a 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Friday, with residents shuttling loved ones to safety as buildings crumbled around them. The quake came just minutes after a less violent tremor as terrified residents had begun evacuating their houses. “We all fled our home (after the first quake),” Yudi
Vietnam to fully reopen to international visitors from 15th March. According to the proposal, visitors will no longer need to be part of package tours and only need to meet medical criteria on vaccination and testing. From now until March 14th, Vietnam will continue to welcome international visitors in phase two of its pilot program.
Hosted by Thailand for the past four decades, the Indo-Pacific multination war games known as Cobra Gold make headlines every year – not just for military affairs but also for their history, politics and wildlife conservation. The upcoming Cobra Gold 2022 is in the news because it has been scaled down for a second year
PHNOM PENH, Feb 17 (Reuters) – A special Southeast Asian envoy to the crisis in Myanmar on Thursday said he was seeking to visit the country next month and appealed to its military junta to give its blessing for him to talk with a shadow government it has labelled “terrorists”. Prak Sokhonn, Cambodia’s foreign minister
