Economy and commerce
Thai 20% corporate tax rate made permanent
The cabinet has made the temporary 20% corporate income tax rate permanent to instil confidence in investors and maintain Thailand’s competitiveness, according to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak. Keep reading ...
Up to 7.4m Chinese tipped to visit Thailand throughout this year

As many as 7.4 million Chinese are expected to visit Thailand throughout this year, confirmed a high-level tourism official on 12 October. Keep reading ...
Yangon real estate enters election shutdown
Real estate agents in Yangon say the property market has fallen totally silent over the past week, with almost no deals signed. While sales have continued to slow since the start of the year, there has been no buying and selling whatsoever over the past week, ...
Vietnam's small businesses not investing in tech apps, security

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Hanoi are neglecting to use information and technology applications and information security, said Dang Vu Tuan, vice director of Hanoi’s Department for Information and Communications. Tuan said SMEs account for about 95 per cent of the city’s 117,000 enterprises, but only ...
China imports slump 17.7% in September: Customs
Chinese imports slumped by nearly 18 percent year-on-year in September, Customs said on 13 October, in the latest poor figures from the world’s second-largest economy. Keep reading ...
Thailand's NESDB confident in stimulus

The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) remains upbeat that the country’s economy will still manage growth of 2.7-3.2% this year as projected. Keep reading ...
Myanmar's economic growth to pick up again post-election: IMF

Reforms and monetary policy changes in the post-election period would boost slowing growth in Myanmar, said an International Monetary Fund official. Hoe Ee Khor, deputy director for Asia and Pacific at the IMF, said the involvement of the National League for Democracy (NLD) in setting regulations ...
Yangon stock exchange risks opening under US sanctions
Myanmar’s first modern stock exchange risks falling under sanctions by the US Treasury when it eventually launches this year. The Yangon Stock Exchange is not designated specifically by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. However US officials have clarified that under US law it ...
Cambodia to invest $62M in China’s Asia Bank
The Council of Ministers agreed on 9 October to invest about $62 million in the fledgling Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is expected to start operating by the end of the year. Keep reading ...
Laos SEZs prove to be major job generators
Sixty-five companies from Laos and foreign countries including Thailand at the Savan-Seno Special Economic Zone have created over 4,500 jobs for local people. According to Thongsay Sayavongkhamdy, a senior official from the Savannakhet provincial authority, from now until 2020, both local and overseas companies are expected to ...