Social development

Following the opening of Cambodia’s first modern abattoir last month, a new draft law to regulate animal produce and slaughterhouses was announced on 6 November, along with the establishment of a “National Butchers’ Day” to be recognised annually on 8 January. The 22-chapter law, revealed by ...

According English First’s latest English proficiency index, Thailand is far behind many of its neighbours and most of the world. The index, however, is not without critics. By far the most highly read story on the Bangkok Post website yesterday was about the release of the Education ...

The high road fatality rates that make Thai roads the world’s second deadliest may in fact be understated, said Prommin Kantiya, director of the Accident Prevention Network (APN). Mr Prommin, who was responding on 5 November to the Public Health Ministry’s campaign to reduce road fatality rates, said ...

Phnom Penh’s lack of a clear master plan for development has hurt its communities and allowed private developers to collude with authorities to push out poorer residents, speakers at a land rights conference said on 4 November. Ee Sarom, executive director of STT said that as ...

Despite the Cambodian government’s uncertainty last month, US satellite imagery has confirmed that haze from Indonesian peat fires that has bedevilled the region did in fact reach Cambodia in October, with haze from local forest fires likely to succeed it as the dry season progresses, ...

This week, representatives of a number of Myanmar’s ethnic armed groups convened in Wa Special Region for a political strategy summit among those that abstained from a recent ceasefire accord with the government. Attendees met for three days with the aim of establishing a path forward between ...

Health officials are concerned that the diphtheria outbreaks in Laos can spread to Vietnam, saying remote areas along the border where vaccination coverage rates are not high are particularly vulnerable.    A statement from the Preventive Health Department at the health ministry said Laos has reported diphtheria ...

The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has released caravans to promote its childcare subsidy program across Bangkok. Social Development and Human Security Minister Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew chaired the event to deploy the caravans. He also presented aid money and necessities to the first ...

A campaign to enshrine Buddhism as Thailand’s state religion has been galvanized by a radical Buddhist movement in neighboring Myanmar that is accused of stoking religious tension, the leader of the Thai bid said. Experts say the campaign could appeal to Thailand’s military junta, which is ...

The European Union must pressure the Lao government to make “firm commitments” during bilateral human rights talks set for later this week in Vientiane, according to Paris-based rights group International Federation for Human Rights. The EU should demand assurances from Laos that it will improve its ...