News
Thailand approves $3.8 billion stimulus to help stumbling economy
Thailand’s military government has approved economic measures worth a combined 136 billion baht ($3.81 billion) aimed at boosting spending power in rural areas, as the junta struggles to lift economic growth. Keep reading ...
Thai shippers fear deeper slump for exports
In the wake of falling exports for the seventh straight month in July, exporters are concerned that Thai shipments may slip into a full-year contraction of between 4.5% and 5%. Keep reading ...
Election commission rejects Muslim candidates en masse
Nineteen election candidates in northern Rakhine State have been barred from running by the district sub-election commission, which called into question their residency status and the citizenship of their parents. Applications were submitted by 378 potential candidates representing a range of political parties across five districts ...
MPs approve loans worth billions in 2015
Parliament approved more than US$2.7 billion in foreign loans during its 12th session, Speaker Thura U Shwe Mann said on 28 August, as the session was brought to a close after seven months. Keep reading ...
Journalists face jail over Thai trafficking report
Two journalists, including an Australian editor, face jail 1 September as a Thai court is to decide whether they are guilty of defamation over a report implicating the kingdom’s navy in human trafficking. The trial has sparked widespread condemnation from human rights groups and the UN. It comes ...
China-Laos ties at historical high: Xi
Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Lao President Choummaly Sayasone on 31 August, saying China’s relations with the Southeast Asian country are at an all-time high. Choummaly is in Beijing to attend activities to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s ...
Australian government denies Cambodia refugee deal collapse
The Australian government has said a deal to resettle refugees in Cambodia is on track, despite media reports to the contrary. Under an agreement signed in September last year, Australia is paying Cambodia to take in refugees rejected from its detention centre on Nauru island. But so ...
'Bomb-making material' found in second Bangkok flat
Thai police say they have found bomb-making materials in a second apartment, after the arrest of a suspect in the explosion at Bangkok’s Erawan Shrine. Keep reading ...
Economic land concessions to be taken from firms that break rules
Companies that transfer their land holdings to another firm in violation of government policy will have their concessions stripped from them, the Agriculture Ministry has said. Keep reading ...
Laos working to repatriate workers enslaved on Thai farm
The government will continue to coordinate with the Thai Embassy in Laos to provide assistance and repatriate Lao workers who were found enslaved and kept in cages on a farm in Thailand. Keep reading ...