Government

China’s defense minister has urged Myanmar to maintain stability on their common border as it prepares for what Beijing hopes will be successful elections in November, the defense ministry said on 22 September. Myanmar holds an historic election in November, when the military-backed ruling party will compete with the ...

The New York Times has said that its local printer in Thailand has refused to print its Asia edition because it featured an article on the ailing king. The paper said the printer found the front-page article “too sensitive”. The entire newspaper for 22 September, however, can ...

The Ministry of Finance has requested the government to stop imposing a fixed interest rate on unpaid taxes from January 1, news website Saigon Times Online reported on 17 September. Keep reading ...

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has unveiled a new strategy to build “a people’s state” to bring together the state, the people and businesses for the long-term sustainable development of the country.   The prime minister said the Pracha Rat (people’s state) strategy aims to strengthen the country’s ...

India and Laos on 18 September 2015 signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral ties between the two nations. The MoUs were signed by Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari and President of Lao Choummaly Sayasone in the Presidential Palace Ho Kham, Vientiane. Keep reading ...

Vietnam is quickly finishing the Intended National Determined Contributions to participate in the 21st Conference of Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, set to be held in Paris this December. Countries across the global have committed to create a new international ...

Vice-President Hamid Ansari on 18 September signed two memorandums of understanding with his counterpart in Laos, Bounyang Vorachith in the Presidential Palace Ho Kham. The MoUs cover an air services agreement — allowing airlines to start a direct flight between the two countries — and another agreement ...

The Laotian government has given the green light to a special economic zone in the southern city of Pakse, a 625-hectare site dedicated to small and midsize Japanese companies. Businesses operating there will have corporate taxes waived for 10 years starting in the first profitable year, among ...

After the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar in 2008, international aid poured into Southeast Asia, but in both disasters the 10-nation regional body ASEAN was conspicuously absent, says disaster expert Arnel Capili. “Those were very big events that really affected the ...

The Transport Ministry on 17 September ordered the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) to provide a full report on its 4.4-billion-baht purchase of seven trains for the Airport Rail Link project after the agency was accused of procurement fraud.  Deputy Transport Minister Omsin Cheewapreuk asked SRT governor Wuthichart ...