News
Laos stone not a rock-solid investment for Chinese speculators
A government ban, fines and the confiscation of goods has not stopped Chinese opportunists seeking to make a quick buck in Laos stone, reports the Shanghai-based China Business News. The popularity of Laos stone has investors betting that it could step up next to the greats ...
China’s climate change plan represents decisive move
Chinese premier Li Keqiang recently unveiled the country’s plan for combating climate change. While it could have been more ambitious, the plan shows China’s leaders are serious about changing the country’s development path. It critically undermines those in the West who claim that climate action should be ...
Thai among 17 busted in Vietnam-Laos drug blitz
Vietnam has a Thai man and 17 others after a blitz on drug crime uncovered major stashes of heroin, cannabis and precursor chemicals, state media have said. Six Vietnamese were arrested in Hanoi after being caught with some 120 kilogrammes of heroin hidden inside household gas ...
Rayong fishermen mark two years since oil spill
Small fishermen in Rayong have called on Thailand’s biggest petrochemical company to do more to rehabilitate oil-spill impacted sites along the province’s coastline, saying they still are living with the after effects of a spill two years ago. Keep reading ...
Mekong meet helps states prepare for AEC
To welcome the launch of the Asean Economic Community and help Greater Mekong Subregion countries cope with e-commerce, an international conference was held recently to bring specialists and officials together to swap ideas and experiences. The 8 July event, titled “Mekong Forum 2015 – Modernising the ...
Bangkok is sinking and may be underwater in 15 years, study says
A new report from Thailand’s government says that Bangkok, its capital city and home to some 14 million people, could be underwater in the next 15 years thanks to a combination of sinking land and rising global sea levels. The conclusion comes from Thailand’s National Reform ...
Vietnam Jan-July foreign investment declines 8 pct
Foreign direct investment in the first seven months declined by 8 percent year-on-year to US$8.8 billion, Vietnam’s Foreign Investment Agency has reported. Newly licensed projects were worth $6.9 billion, 1 percent up from last year. Keep reading ...
Report warns industry to prepare for the unsavoury side of tourism
With tourism on the rise in Myanmar, the sector must better prepare for an influx of orphanage and child-sex tourism – problems that are already prevalent in the more travel-worn neighbouring countries, a report by three NGOs has warned. The tourism impact assessment was conducted by ...
Thailand's economy isn't a Land of Smiles
Thailand’s worst drought in a decade appears to have ended, but the damage could cast a shadow on the economy for months to come. The crippling dry weather that first emerged in late 2014 is no longer present in the country’s 67 provinces, the deputy head ...
No relief in sight for Myanmar's flood ravaged north
Myanmar’s flood-ravaged northern regions are bracing for another deluge, after the Department of Meteorology warned of possible heavy rains due to a storm in the Bay of Bengal. The announcement, issued by the department on 27 July, warned that the storm was gaining strength and was expected ...
