Infrastructure
Cambodia starts work on canal linking Mekong River to sea
Cambodia has launched a controversial canal project to link the Mekong River to the sea. Work on the $1.7bn project kicked off on Monday. Phnom Penh hopes the canal will boost the country’s economy. However, concern over the impact on the region’s environment and foreign relations ...
Al Jazeera and news agencies
Bangkok to Beijing train: Mekong River railway bridge opens
Travellers are one step closer to an epic train journey from Bangkok to Beijing as a new railway bridge over the Mekong River has opened, linking Thailand and Laos by rail for the first time. This milestone, completed last month, leaves just a few dozen miles of a trackless gap before the route can finally reach China. With the launch of this ...
Puntid Tantivangphaisal
Strengthening cybersecurity and trust in Cambodia's digital future
As Cambodia continues its journey of digital transformation, the ASEAN Digital Masterplan 2025 (ADM 2025) serves as a crucial guide for navigating the complexities of cybersecurity and trust in digital services. The plan outlines critical steps that Cambodia, alongside other ASEAN nations, must take to build ...
Hong Raksmey
Thailand, Laos to open more friendship bridge this November
The fifth Thai – Lao friendship bridge, which links Bueng Kan province of Thailand with Pakxan town of Laos, is scheduled to open this November. Deputy Transport Minister of Thailand Manaporn Charoensri said recently that the project features a 1.35km crossover with a dual-lane road traversing ...
Mercury rising: Why a Thai community believes it is being poisoned across the international border
NAN, Thailand: On clear mornings, at dawn, Ms Kanchanaporn Paeng-ud stands on a hillcrest where her family processes tapioca and looks out beyond the sweeping valleys across to neighbouring country Laos. On the horizon, some 20 km away, she can see what resembles billowing columns of ...
Jack Board
Dance moves and deepfakes: Indonesia presidential candidates duke it out on TikTok
JAKARTA, Feb 12 (Reuters) – At an Indonesian presidential campaign event, 22-year-old voter Irene Putri Aisyah was busy uploading everything she saw – from cute dances to cooking demonstrations – to short video app TikTok. To court young voters like Irene, all three candidates in the Feb. ...
Stanley Widianto
Bridge ready to enter service across Can Tho River
Tran Hoang Na Bridge is 600 m long and 23 m wide. It crosses the Can Tho River to link Cai Rang District with the downtown district of Ninh Kieu. It cost VND791 billion (US$33.4 million), funded by the government from official development assistance. Work began in September 2020 and was set to be ...
An Binh
Generative AI: A Threat to Copyright?
ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by OpenAI, provides many new opportunities, yet concerns have been raised over copyright issues as it seems unclear who owns the generated content: the users, tech companies or data owners? ChatGPT generates search results based on the data ...
Rov Hongseng
Vietnam, Laos, Thailand strengthen transport connectivity
The 23rd preparatory conference of the nine provinces of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand that share the use of Road 8 and Road 12 was recently held in the central Lao province of Bolykhamsay to review their cooperation. A representative of Bolykhamsay province reported the implementation of ...
Mekong Countries Pin Development Hopes on Airport Progress
Following three years of pandemic restrictions, Thailand’s eastern seaboard gateway—U-Tapao airport—has returned to the spotlight after deputy government spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana recently said expansion plans would commence in early 2023. Earmarked as an “Aviation City” in 2017, the $8.8 billion mega airport project will occur ...
Jennifer Meszaros