Provincial profiles
(Economy, major industries)
Cambodian Environmental Group Calls For End to Development on Phnom Penh’s Boeung Tamok Lake
Development on one of the last large lakes in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh is impacting communities that rely on it for their livelihoods and causing significant flooding in the city as the result of runoff during heavy rains, an environmental watchdog said Thursday, calling for ...
RFA’s Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Road to a better Cambodia: Increase local government funding
Despite decades of political stability and economic growth, the post-conflict Cambodia is still struggling to address extreme poverty, poor governance and the improvement of public services as the result of weak institutions and a bureaucracy in which state functions and resources are centralised and patronaged. Indeed, ...
University needs to raise standards: PM

The National University of Laos should set its sights on national development, especially in terms of the quality of the graduates it is producing, as they are fundamental to the nation’s progress. The university is only in the initial stages of its success. There is still ...
Change for growth

As the biggest economic center of Vietnam, HCMC is feeling tied by a slew of prevailing regulations. It is desperate for a special governance mechanism so that the metropolis will be able to grow faster and thus fuel development in the rest of the nation. Meanwhile, ...
Economy sees best growth in three years despite export contraction

Thailand’s economy remained resilient in the first quarter of this year, surprising forecasters by growing more than the previous quarter despite the continued contraction of exports. The country’s economy grew a seasonally adjusted 0.9 per cent in the first quarter, boosted by public spending and tourism, ...
Govt urged to promote at least three $1-billion tech start-ups in five years
Thailand should nurture at least three technology business start-ups worth US$1 billion each within the next five years, according to an industry white paper. Citing the white paper submitted to the government, Patai Padungtin, president of Thailand Start-up Association, said the country needed to quickly develop the ...
Laos needs to consolidate to be successful Asean member: PM
Laos is looking for uncovered potential and opportunities to effectively integrate with the Asean Economic Community in ways that benefit the country. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said, “Asean has been approved as a community, but Laos is still seeking uncovered possibilities, potential and opportunities that will benefit ...
Thai dredging vessels told to retreat from Lao side of the Mekong
The operators of Thai sand dredgers working in the Mekong River close to Khammuan province signed a document last week stating they would not continue to cross the border into Laos. Deputy Head of the Khammuan provincial Administration Office, Mr Vannavong Vongphachan, told Vientiane Times on ...
Mekong's steady flow of tourism

Pongpet Mekloy argues that Thailand and Laos need to work closer together in order to capitalise on their joint attractions that line the mighty river. Research by Si Sa Ket Rajabhat University is highlighted, which investigated the potential for tourism along the international river, focusing on the ...
Vietnam’s tourist industry marks 55th anniversary amid challenges

Vietnam is celebrating the 55th anniversary of its tourist industry amid a mountain of challenges, highlighted by falling international tourist numbers. Fifty-five years after the tourist industry was founded in 1960, the industry has obtained many achievements, but “new challenges and difficulties have also arisen,” Vietnam ...