News
Vietnamese arrested in Mondolkiri smuggling timber
Two Vietnamese nationals were arrested in Cambodia’s Mondolkiri province as they attempted to cross the border back into Vietnam on 8 October in a tour bus loaded with high-grade timber, authorities said 11 October. Keep reading ...
Cambodia to invest $62M in China’s Asia Bank
The Council of Ministers agreed on 9 October to invest about $62 million in the fledgling Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is expected to start operating by the end of the year. Keep reading ...
Thailand to try US journalist for carrying flak jacket

A Thai court has decided to put an American photojournalist on trial for possession of a bulletproof vest and a helmet, which are considered weapons in Thailand. Keep reading ...
Laos' Khammouane province to study solar, wind power
The development of solar and wind power in Laos’ central Khammouane province is to be investigated following earlier mixed results, an official has said. The PP Electric Company in Vientiane has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Khammouane provincial Planning and Investment Department to conduct ...
Single gateway jitters in Thailand
With the Thai government exploring the pros and cons of initiating a single international gateway (single gateway), uncertainty is being felt in the country’s growing tech industry and e-commerce sector. The cabinet ordered relevant state agencies to report legal complications concerning the deployment of a single ...
Laos SEZs prove to be major job generators
Sixty-five companies from Laos and foreign countries including Thailand at the Savan-Seno Special Economic Zone have created over 4,500 jobs for local people. According to Thongsay Sayavongkhamdy, a senior official from the Savannakhet provincial authority, from now until 2020, both local and overseas companies are expected to ...
Rebels reject peace talks in Thailand's deep South

The dominant insurgent faction in Thailand’s southern separatist conflict emerged last week to reject the Malaysian-led peace talks being held with the Thai government. However, the hard-line National Revolutionary Front or Barisan Revolusi Nasional also signalled its willingness to open substantive negotiations, provided international mediation can ...
Chinese in Shan suddenly popular

Chinese-language posters with instructions on how to vote are causing controversy in Myanmar’s Shan State. Lashio town, in northern Shan State where Myanmar borders China, is home to a large number of ethnic Chinese people. Some have lived there for generations. Like elsewhere in Myanmar, a combination of historic ...
Thai PM calls for calm after Phuket street riots

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has pledged justice after the weekend’s Phuket riot sparked by the deaths of two young men, as probes were launched to find the facts behind the province’s worst street violence in recent years. Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said Gen Prayut promised ...
Laos refuses to host meeting of ASEAN civil society groups

Laos will not host a meeting of civil society organizations (CSOs) in Southeast Asia on the sidelines of an ASEAN summit next year, a local official said, citing potential criticism by participants against governments in the region and inadequate resources as among reasons for the ...