Economy

Premchai Karnasuta, president of Italian-Thai Development, arrives at the Central Investigation Bureau in Bangkok on March 20. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)
CEO in the news

Poaching scandal piles pressure on Thailand's construction mogul

President of Italian-Thai on bail as debate grows about privileges for wealthy

23 March 2018
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, left, and Htin Kyaw, who resigned as Myanmar's president on Wednesday, speak during a photo session after the cease-fire agreement at the Myanmar International Convention Center in Naypyitaw on Feb. 13.
Politics

Myanmar president's resignation draws mixed reactions

But leader's exit still leaves questions over role of Aung San Suu Kyi and military

21 March 2018
Siam Cement Group's office in Bangkok (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Asia300

Siam Cement sees opportunities along Belt & Road

Thai conglomerate's CLMV investments will pave way to China and India, CEO says

19 March 2018
Workers begin upgrading the Yangon Circular Railway in February.
Economy

Myanmar gets to work restoring dilapidated rail system

Multibillion-dollar infrastructure project will stretch from Yangon to Mandalay

17 March 2018
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull takes a selfie with a delegate in Sydney on March 16.
International relations

Australia courts Southeast Asia with unprecedented summit

Leaders to talk trade and security amid doubts about US, concerns about China

16 March 2018
Thailand wants to increase exports to places like this border town in Myanmar -- Payathonzu.
Business trends

Thailand aims to boost trade with neighbors by 15% in 2018

Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Malaysia to help offset pressure from strong baht

16 March 2018
Upgrading Southeast Asia's dilapidated rail infrastructure comes with social costs.
Politics

China's Belt and Road rail project stirs discontent in Laos

Belated compensation for over 4,000 affected families involves opaque assessments

15 March 2018
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, center, arrive with Southeast Asian leaders at a reception in New Delhi on Jan. 26. India is building partnerships in the region to counter China's influence.
FT Confidential Research

India pivots to Southeast Asia to counter China's growing clout

New Delhi seeks to capitalize on discontent over Beijing's influence: FTCR

13 March 2018
A woman shows her finger after voting in national elections in the Philippines. The Southeast Asian nation ranks above the global average in women in parliament.
Politics

Once a world leader, Asia now trails in women lawmakers

Philippines, Laos and China among best in terms of females in parliament

8 March 2018
Asia's big economies are likely to keep growing strongly in 2018, but slowing chip exports and higher interest rates are risks.
Economy

Asian export rebound is boosting better growth, at least for now

Higher interest rates and weaker smartphone demand are risks for China and the ASEAN4, says JCER

8 March 2018
Labor-intensive industries in Myanmar such as seafood processing face increased costs from a higher minimum wage.
Economy

Myanmar to raise minimum wage by 33%

Compromise draws dissent from both labor and management

8 March 2018
Construction workers take a break in Singapore, where migrants make up about a third of the workforce.
Asia Insight

Southeast Asia's vulnerable migrants pose an economic dilemma

Countries struggle to prevent abuse without hindering business

6 March 2018
ScoutAsia news and data sources include more than 20 English-language news media, the world's leading corporate databases and analyst reports.
Economy

Nikkei Inc. and the Financial Times Group announce launch of scoutAsia

New service offers clients access to news and information on 500,000 companies

5 March 2018
Myanmar currently exports 80% of its natural gas by pipeline.
Economy

Myanmar targets LNG imports to fuel nation's power surge

New plants intended to meet demand, but country set to lose export advantage

4 March 2018
Ride-sharing apps Grab and Go-Jek are some of the local businesses that have had to seek technical talent outside Southeast Asia. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)
Economy

ASEAN to promote cross-border e-commerce with new framework

Digital economy a key theme for the region, but challenges remain

2 March 2018
A worker collects palm oil fruit at a palm oil factory in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur.
Economy

Migrant crackdowns hit ASEAN's labor flow

Moves by Malaysia and Thailand leave short-staffed companies facing higher costs

1 March 2018
Slices of Kobe beef meat pictured in plate as arrange steaks in a restaurant on January 18, 2017 in Kobe, Japan.
Economy

Cambodia's imports of Japanese beef are ending up in China

Southeast Asia has become the way to get around China's ban on wagyu

1 March 2018
A motorized rickshaw parks in front of a colonial building in Luang Prabang, Laos. (Photo by Denis D. Gray)
Economy

Tourism and development threaten Laos' French traditions

Rapid changes are erasing the last vestiges of a fragile heritage

1 March 2018
A motorized rickshaw parks in front of a colonial building in Luang Prabang, Laos. (Photo by Denis D. Gray)
Tea Leaves

Tourism and development threaten Laos' French traditions

Rapid changes are erasing the last vestiges of a fragile heritage

1 March 2018
Asia's big economies are likely to keep growing strongly in 2018, but slowing chip exports and higher interest rates are risks.
Economy

Asian export rebound to fuel faster economic growth in 2018

Higher interest rates and weaker smartphone demand are downside risks: JCER

28 February 2018
Council for the Development of Cambodia Secretary General Sok Chenda Sophea speaks to the Nikkei Asian Review in Tokyo on Feb. 19. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Cambodia touts plan to slash electricity fees for businesses

Rate cuts are meant to offset wage hikes, boost nation in region's supply chain

25 February 2018
India and other middle-income economies may need to work much harder to develop the highly skilled workers for global competition.
Economy

James Crabtree: Emerging Asia risks never growing rich

Recent expansion masks a vulnerability to shifting global economic trends

22 February 2018
Labor costs in most ASEAN countries are lower than those in China.
Economy

Digital tech to help ASEAN unlock up to $627bn in productivity

McKinsey report highlights countries' potential as 'factories to the world'

21 February 2018
Southeast Asia's export values grew by double digits on a monthly basis for every month in 2017 except June.
Economy

Southeast Asia faces speed bumps to export-driven growth

After banner 2017, worrying signs for production and consumption appear

21 February 2018
A worker collects palm oil fruit at a palm oil factory in Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur.
Politics

ASEAN labor flows hit a wall with growing migrant crackdown

Malaysia and Thailand left short-handed as foreigners leave en masse

18 February 2018