News
Fighting erupts between Bangladesh, Arakan Army

A skirmish erupted along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border on 26 August between the Border Guard Bangladesh and the Arakan Army ethnic armed group, resulting in the injury of one Bangladeshi border guard. Keep reading ...
Poverty rate falling as services improve, 2014 survey finds

The poverty rate has reduced dramatically in rural households from 27.1 per cent in 2012 to 13.2 per cent in 2014 while access to public services such as vocational and educational training and health care has improved. This was revealed at a workshop held on 26 ...
Cambodian property hotter than ASEAN average ahead of AEC

With the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) set to commence at the end of this year, promising deeper cross-market potential for property investment, the region as a whole is experiencing a cooling effect—with the exception of Cambodia, which shows strong growth numbers according to property consultancy ...
Provincial officials shut down Vietnamese nightclub in northeastern Laos

A Vietnamese-run night club featuring scantily-clothed pole dancers in the historic Viengxay caves in northeastern Laos has closed down a few days after its opening after it received a barrage of criticism on social media, a provincial official said. The nightclub had a soft opening on ...
Thailand bids to lure global giants
The Telecommunications Association of Thailand is to submit proposals by 31 August on the strategies and goals the government needs to transform Thailand into a digital hub in ASEAN. Keep reading ...
New Muslim rebel front calls for revived talks with Thailand
A new umbrella group of Muslim rebels who are waging a bloody insurgency in southern Thailand called on 27 August for a resumption of stalled peace talks but it was unclear whether the Thai military junta would recognise them. Representatives of Mara Pattani, which claims to speak for ...
Thailand to restore rail link with Cambodia

Thailand is hoping to resurrect a rail link with Cambodia to improve transport in the Mekong sub-region, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on 27 August. Keep reading ...
Gov't eyes industrial expansion

In search of Cambodia’s next economic growth driver, the government on 26 August laid out the Cambodia Industrial Development Policy 2015-2025, which aims to expand the Kingdom’s narrow industrial base beyond garments and rice. The new policy, launched by Prime Minister Hun Sen at the Peace Palace ...
US companies bullish on ASEAN business outlook, survey finds
American companies based in the region remain generally optimistic about business prospects for the 10 markets of ASEAN. The findings came in the annual ASEAN Business Outlook Survey by the United States Chamber of Commerce and the American Chamber of Commerce Singapore (AmCham). Keep reading ...
Vietnam index posts biggest single-day jump in 15 months
Vietnam’s benchmark VN Index ended up 3 percent on 26 August, its biggest jump in 15 months, after the government reassured it will maintain the country’s economic growth target and keep the dollar/dong rate stable until the year-end. Keep reading ...