News
Thailand must do more for investors, says Citi chief

While political and policy risks have been among the biggest concerns for foreign investors in recent years, other issues such as bureaucracy, legal enforcement and business restrictions perhaps weigh even more heavily on Thailand’s competitiveness. Darren Buckley, country head of Citi Thailand and president of the American Chamber of ...
'Renewable energy' plans steady growth

Renewable energy is one of the main sectors expected to engage in more merger and acquisition (M&A) activity offshore in the next three to five years, according to Kasikornbank. KBank, one of the major banks involved with corporate fund-raising, on 21 October shared its views on the upward ...
Thai franchises in line for tax perks

The government is considering privilege packages for Thai franchises in a bid to promote them in the world market. Deputy Commerce Minister Suvit Maesincee, who presided over the opening of the “Excellent Thai Franchise” event on 21 October, said the franchise business still had a lot of ...
Tourism Council of Thailand predicts foreign arrivals will hit 30m

The Tourism Council of Thailand projects foreign tourist arrivals will reach 30.3 million this year, growing 22% and surpassing the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s target of 28.8 million visitors. Tourism revenue from foreign tourists is expected to surge 21% to 1.42 trillion baht, slightly up from ...
Indonesia destroys Thai, Vietnamese trawlers

Photos from Indonesia on 21 October show the Indonesian navy blowing up fishing boats it seized from Thailand and Vietnam. Keep reading ...
Myanmar fishermen protest Thai hires

The hiring of Thai helmsmen on Myanmar fishing boats has been criticised by the local fishing industry. Two Myanmar companies last year hired Thai captains on the grounds that they were familiar with the use of sonar to find fish. Faced with opposition by local fishermen, the ...
Deal struck for migrant workers in Thailand
Thailand has agreed to relax enforcement against expired documents held by migrant Cambodians, which become invalid when they switch jobs without their previous employer’s written consent. The agreement was reached on 19 October during a meeting between Cambodia’s ambassador to Thailand and Thailand’s director general of the Department ...
Migrant workers fear impact of Mae Sot economic zone

The development by the Thai government of a special economic zone at Mae Sot, which is intended to improve trade and communications between Thailand and Myanmar, could have devastating consequences for local inhabitants. Keep reading ...
Asia-Pacific drug officials meet in Bangkok

High-ranking officials from Cambodia’s Interior Ministry were among 140 delegates from Asia-Pacific nations meeting in Bangkok on 19 October, as a three-day conference on the region’s growing problem of drug production and trafficking got under way. Keep reading ...
GH Bank's cheap loans a success

Potential mortgage borrowers lined up for the government’s 10 billion baht in cheap loans at all branches of state-owned GH Bank on 19 October, the first day of the scheme. Keep reading ...