News
Thailand's IEA signs deal for largest ASEAN wind farm in south Laos
Thai renewable company Impact Energy Asia (IEA) plans to build the largest wind farm in ASEAN – and generate 600 megawatts on 400,000 rai in southern Laos – under an agreement signed by the Lao government and the company on 7 August. “Called Monsoon Wind Farm, the US$1.5 ...
Thai justice minister suggests Cambodia and Vietnam join “safe Mekong” anti-drug operation
Thai Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya says Thailand and Laos are considering inviting Cambodia and Vietnam to join the “Safe Mekong” anti-drug operation. Gen Paiboon was speaking after attending the 15th bilateral meeting between Thai and Lao delegates on the joint effort to prevent and combat drug ...
Southeast Asia’s biggest-ever drug warehouse raided by Vietnamese, Laotian detectives
After months of tracing and identifying the baron of a drug smuggling ring, forces from Vietnam and Laos raided the organization last month, seizing 5.5 metric tons of drugs – the biggest smuggling case ever uncovered in Southeast Asia. Noticeably, the swoop on the huge drug ...
Vietnam PM encourages Myanmar to grant licences to Vietnamese banks
Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung suggested Myanmar to consider granting licences to the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam to open branches in Myanmar. The Prime Minister received Governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar Kyaw Kyaw Maung in Hanoi on 6 August during his ...
Thai PM coy on plans to join TPP
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on 7 August poured cold water on a call by an American business lobby group urging Thailand to join the controversial Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact. The premier said the pros and cons of the new trade bloc need to be considered ...
Laos, destination in illegal ivory trade, so far eludes global crackdown
When the authorities in Thailand recently intercepted huge stashes of ivory stuffed inside shipments of beans and tea leaves, the seizures were described as groundbreaking international police work. But there was a major omission in the operation, which took place over the past four months and uncovered ...
Myanmar Government trumpets pledges from China
Amid accusations that it caved in to Chinese pressure, the government has been at pains to show that its release in a presidential amnesty last week of 153 Chinese illegal loggers was accompanied by a number of pledges it has managed to extract from Beijing. The ...
PNG frees Myanmar and Cambodia ‘slaves’ from fishing boat
Papua New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O’Neill yesterday pledged his nation’s support in tackling human trafficking as he confirmed the seizure of a boat carrying alleged slaves from Myanmar and Cambodia. Mr O’Neill said the eight people were rescued from the fishing boat Blissful Reefer. Keep reading ...
Jungle Vegas: How China's gamblers are pouring into a casino in Laos' notorious Golden Triangle
Kings Romans, a Chinese-owned casino complex in Ton Pheung district, Bokeo, is the centrepiece of a 10,000-square metre “Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone” set up by communist-ruled Laos with investment from its giant neighbour. The other Golden Triangle nations, Thailand and Myanmar sit just across river, ...
Vietnamese workforce optimistic about ASEAN common market, survey shows
Up to 92 percent of Vietnamese professionals see the establishment of the regional ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) as a good opportunity to develop their career, according to a recent survey conducted by recruitment firm VietnamWorks. As many as 52 percent of the respondents believe they will ...
