News
Songkhla, Tak up next after Sa Kaeo
Tak and Songkhla will be the next provinces with government-developed special economic zones (SEZs) after the one in Sa Kaeo is finished. The SEZ in Songkhla’s Sadao district has been designated for rubber processing, while the one in Tak’s Mae Sot district will be for agricultural processing, ...
Two freed, but countless others still enslaved by armed groups
Two young women who were the focus of a Myanmar Times investigation this month into mass abductions of civilians by ethnic armed groups have been freed by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Ma Nang Htwe Yin and Nang Kyan Kham, both 20-year-old ethnic Shan pre-school teachers, were ...
Mekong sees worst drought in 90 years
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered relevant ministries and Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta provinces to prioritise the fight against drought and saltwater intrusion which have severely affected agriculture and fisheries and caused a crippling water shortage. Speaking at a seminar in Can Tho City ...
Vietnam agriculture exports to US likely to surge, ministry official predicts
Vietnam’s agricultural exports to the United States (US) are expected to surge with stable demand from a key market, an official of the government said on 18 February. Le Van Banh, head of the Department of Processing and Trading Agricultural, Forestry, Aquatic Products and Salt under ...
G-bonds to fund infrastructure projects
A total amount of VND14.2 trillion (US$634 million) from Vietnam government bonds, which is the remaining capital from expansion projects on National Highway 1A and Ho Chi Minh Highway passing through Central Highland region, will be used to construct 17 new projects and repair dozens ...
Cambodia’s young seek change as demographics shift
Thy Sovantha, Cambodia’s youngest political star, is still seething. A charismatic student, she rocketed to fame during the 2013 elections when she backed the opposition’s effort to unseat Cambodia’s authoritarian ruler. Her Facebook page drew hundreds of thousands of followers, making her, at 18, perhaps the ...
Lam Dong residents concerned after water pipeline ruptures
The authorities of Lam Dong Central Highlands Province have confirmed that the environment was not affected after a water pipeline ruptured, though local residents remain concerned about long term consequences. The pipeline that broke on 13 February is part of the Tan Rai Aluminium Plant, in Loc ...
Narong eases ThaiHealth budget freeze
Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Narong Pipatanasai has approved budget disbursements for some projects under the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth) after about 1.64 billion baht was earlier frozen due to suspected misspending. Adm Narong signed off on the budget allocation for some of the foundation’s projects ...
Vietnam's credit institutions asked to up lending to boost business
State Bank of Vietnam Governor Nguyen Van Binh on 17 February asked credit institutions to boost lending right after Tet (Lunar New Year) in a move to support businesses. Under Directive No819/NHNN-VP, the Governor asked the institutions to effectively enhance their capital mobilisation to be able to ...
Ministry calls a halt to passport extensions
The Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Consulate Department has announced that it will halt the extension of expired passports and require officials and all citizens to apply for new passports. The move comes after sub-standard barcodes in passports issued between 2008 and 2012 caused problems when ...
