Business associations

Prime Minister Hun Sen welcomed a pledge by a Thai-based industrial real estate developer on October 10 that promised to build a special economic zone in Cambodia, despite officials saying the company has yet to make any firm commitments. According to local media, the pledge was made ...

The American Gem Trade Association arrived in Myanmar for the first time this week to assess the gems sector and build trade relationships ahead of an anticipated end to the US sanctions regime, which would allow the legal import of Myanmar rubies and jade. The association’s ...

Financial development in Indonesia has evolved at a relatively slow speed in comparison to peer countries. Although this provides opportunities for financial deepening, the International Monetary Fund has been quick to remind Indonesia that deepening should be balanced with stability to avoid a crisis. “There is ...

When the US government relaxed sanctions on Myanmar’s state-run companies and banks but stopped short of lifting all sanctions in May this year, the US Chamber of Commerce was not pleased. The American business lobby called for the US to “normalize” relations fully and introduce preferable trade ...

Despite the strong economic growth of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, very few Thai companies have sought to capitalise on their economies, say government and industry officials. The Industry Ministry’s Department of Industry Promotion found only a few large enterprises such as PTT Plc, the ...

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has asked Jack Ma to support Thai small and medium-sized enterprises as the Alibaba Group’s founder wants the country to export farm products to China and ASEAN through the group. Referring to their meeting in Hangzhou in the night of September ...

Two months since a group of angel investors visited Phnom Penh in search of startup investment opportunities, the organisation behind the initiative is planning an even bigger scouting mission, looking for investment opportunities in the Kingdom’s small but vibrant startup community. Seven members of the Mekong ...

Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the 17th is the odd one out. As “Partnerships for the Goals”, it is a goal that helps you get to the other 16 goals. For most businesses committed to sustainable development, however, this 17th goal may be the ...

Just a month since their election, the leaders of the nation’s apex rice industry body have cast a motion to extend their terms – a move some have greeted with suspicion. On August 12, the board of directors of the Cambodian Rice Federation announced it ...

In the last three years, Thai conglomerates have made significant acquisitions abroad, mostly in the Asia Pacific as well as in the US. In 2014, Thai firms invested almost $4 billion in other Asian countries, more than double the figure in previous years, according to ...