Economy and commerce

Thailand’s Board of Investment said on 12 January it approved applications worth about 800 billion baht last year, missing its target of 1.4 trillion baht, but up from 724.7 billion baht in 2014. The investment agency did not meet its target in 2015 as some applications were submitted ...

Leaders of rubber growers in the South met in Trang province on 12 January for a meeting with the provincial governor and to discuss their demands that the government help increase the price of rubber. About 30 representatives of southern rubber growers gathered at the Trang branch ...

A large number of Chinese tourists are expected to visit Luang Prabang province this year and may constitute the largest number of all nationalities visiting the world heritage site. Last year most visitors to the northern town came from Thailand, with Chinese nationals ranking second. An official ...

Vietnamese businesses have performed well in Laos and contributed to local economic growth over the last five years despite the lingering impact of the global economic crisis, a report revealed. Delivered at a congress of the Vietnam Business Association in Vientiane, Laos late last week, Laos ...

More than a year after entering Vietnam and constantly facing authorities’ scrutiny and protests from taxi companies, US-headquartered cab-hailing service Uber is in the hot seat for failing to pay taxes.   Speaking to Tuoi Tre newspaper on 9 January, a Ho Chi Minh City tax official ...

Five years after setting out an ambitious 1 million-tonne milled rice export target, Cambodia’s rice sector fell well short of the mark last year, exporting close to 550,000 tonnes, with industry experts cautiously optimistic over export increases in 2016. The Agriculture Ministry’s report, released on 8 January, ...

Business leaders in Nakhon Phanom are scrambling for facts to verify the reported construction of Disney Laos, with fears that this could be a hoax which could spark land price speculation in the northeastern province. Charnyuth Uppapong, chairman of the provincial chamber of commerce, said on ...

Rubber farmers in the South are threatening to stage a major rally and a hunger strike if their demands for government action to shore up falling prices are not met. Saksarit Sriprasart, a leader of rubber farmers in Trang, said a network of small planters in the southern ...

The first shipment of rice imports from Laos have passed through inspection and quarantine procedures at south China’s Shenzhen port, according to local authorities. The shipment weighed 87.8 tonnes and was valued at 746 million U.S. dollars, said the Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection And Quarantine Bureau. Keep reading ...

Assuming the chairmanship of ASEAN this year offers Laos a great opportunity but the country will face numerous challenges in leading the bloc, a senior official has acknowledged. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Thongloun Sisoulith made the comment recently when speaking to Foreign ...