Government
Thai Government offers to help Jakarta fight haze hazard

The government is ready to help Indonesia tackle the haze pollution problem which has spread over large parts of the region after its envoy admitted the country’s efforts are not enough to stop the fires, Foreign Ministry deputy permanent secretary Vitavas Srivihok said. Keep reading ...
Education Ministry staff ‘swamped’ with paperwork
A progressive budgeting policy used by the Education Ministry has overloaded local administrators with paperwork for which they often lack the expertise, according to a new report, which found the system was less efficient in 2014 than the year before. Released by the NGO Forum, and ...
Myanmar official accuses China of meddling in peace talks

A top negotiator in Myanmar’s peace talks with ethnic rebels has accused neighboring China of derailing a nationwide ceasefire deal last week that would have brought Japan and Western nations in as observers to monitor an end to decades of conflict. Beijing has denied the accusation but ...
Laos, Thai, Malaysia and Singapore power deal delayed

The signing of the Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore Power Integration Project deal has been delayed for another six months. Keep reading ...
Refugees in Thailand watch Myanmar election with interest, trepidation

Outside of Nai Soi village in northern Thailand, more than 14,000 refugees from Kayah State debate elections going on just across the border. While there will be no voting for those in Thailand’s largest refugee camp – most lack ID cards – that doesn’t mean they ...
From ambulances to funerals, volunteers prop up Myanmar healthcare

Volunteers prop up many aspects of the Myanmar healthcare system. This culture of self-reliance is partially a legacy of the military era where vast spending on defence came at the expense of health or education. While budgets have increased since 2011’s end of outright army rule, Myanmar ...
12 Pacific nations agree to historic TPP trade accord

Twelve Pacific rim countries sealed the deal late 5 October (Thailand time) to create the world’s largest free trade area, with implications for Thailand and for world trade in the 21st century. Working around the clock for days past their deadline, haggard trade ministers announced they reached ...
Unauthorised fees plague Vietnam's bus terminals

Transport enterprises are concerned about fees that they have to pay for their operations at bus stations. A driver of a transport enterprise operating on the Ha Noi-Thai Nguyen route, who decline to give his name, said besides fixed fees like entrance fee and parking fee, ...
Election police training to begin
Police are preparing a comprehensive security blanket in advance of the 8 November election. Training is about to begin for more than 40,000 special police officers drafted nationwide to supplement the regular force during elections, while there is also a provision for calling the military ...
Laos to host ASEAN ministerial meeting on rural development
Laos has confirmed its readiness to host the 9th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication in Vientiane from 13-17 October. Speaking at a press conference on 6 October on preparations for the meeting, Deputy Minister to the Government Office and Vice Chairman of the National ...