Infrastructure
Cambodia's road deaths up almost 15%
A national road safety action plan established in 2011 is severely off target and road deaths could surpass 3,200 by 2020 unless drastic action is taken, the National Road Safety Committee (NRSC) warned on 30 September. In total, 2,226 people were killed in 4,645 recorded traffic ...
Lao court jails Polish activist following online criticism of Government
A court in Laos has sentenced a Polish activist to nearly five years in prison after he posted criticism of the Lao government online, according to state media, drawing criticism from a diplomatic official who said the defendant was never given access to an attorney. Keep reading ...
Thai govt websites crash in symbolic act by critics: officials
Several Thai government websites temporarily crashed due to a “symbolic act” by people against plans to introduce a single Internet gateway, officials said on 1 October, a measure critics say will make it easier for the ruling junta to censor the web. Keep reading ...
Lao officials balk at China’s loan terms for railway project
Lao government officials have expressed concern about the interest rate on a U.S. $500 million loan from China to build a multibillion-dollar, high-speed railway through the Southeast Asian nation, and have asked political leaders to negotiate a lower rate, a high-ranking Lao official said. Keep reading ...
Rail network development plan disclosed
The Lao government has announced that it will pursue the development of at least four rail lines that will turn landlocked Laos into a land-linked nation with the planned Laos-China rail project given as top priority. Minister of Public Works and Transport Dr Bounchanh Sinthavong told ...
Laos segment of China-Singapore railway expected to begin construction in November
A transnational railway linking China and Singapore is set to be constructed. The construction of the segment in Laos will start in November. Keep reading ...
Pollution from coal-fired power plants kills 4,300 Vietnamese every year: study
Diseases linked to pollution caused by a fast growing network of coal-fired power plants kill around 4,300 people in Vietnam each year, according to a new estimate by scientists. A study released at a conference in Hanoi on 29 September claims that once all planned power projects become ...
25 bridges to be built in Vietnam with JICA loans
The Vietnamese Prime Minister has approved the construction of 25 bridges with the second transport sector loan for the national road network improvement project. The bridges’ total investment is about VND1.686 trillion ($75 million), funded by the Japan International Co-operation Agency ODA loans. Keep reading ...
Thailand urged to streamline passage for Southeast Asian visitors
Thai tourist industry has called on the authorities to provide conveniences for visitors from neighboring states, millions of whom are expected to come over from early next year. Keep reading ...
Government hands down ruling in market dispute
A bitter dispute over the development of the main market in Ratanakkiri province’s Banlung City, which has pitted the city’s governor against a well-connected CPP lawmaker, was resolved by the Council of Ministers earlier this month in favor of the complainant, a wealthy businessman who ...
