Economy

The Erawan Shrine in Bangkok is on the itineraries of many Chinese visitors to Thailand. (Photo by Yohei Muramatsu)
Travel & Leisure

Thailand, Indonesia battle for Chinese group tours post-COVID

Southeast Asia airlines, hotels have edge on Japan, U.S. as travel resumes

5 February 2023
Travelers at Singapore's Changi Airport on June 17, 2022. 
Travel & Leisure

Singapore projects visitors to double in 2023 as China reopens

City-state expects 12-14m arrivals, forecasts recovery to pre-COVID level by 2024

17 January 2023
Singapore believes its new talent visa will attract corporate investment, since companies "always look for the best people," the managing director of its Economic Development Board said.
Economy

Singapore's new elite visa will help lure investment, official says

City-state is competing with places such as Hong Kong, Thailand for foreign talent

16 January 2023
Singapore's growth is slowing as external demand weakens and geopolitical headwinds build.
Economy

Singapore's GDP growth slows to 3.8% in 2022

City-state beats forecast but braces for further deceleration as exports slump

3 January 2023
The skyline of Mumbai's financial district. India is expected to see some of the region's biggest pay raises next year.
Inflation

Asia's wage hikes to accelerate in 2023

Surveys show pay raises likely to beat price rises as employers eye retention

28 December 2022
From China to Singapore, banks in Asia have had a tumultuous year, with some soaring and others under pressure. (Source photos by AP and Getty Images) 
Business Spotlight

Asia's rising interest rates boost banks -- but risks grow for 2023

Lenders in Japan and China lag peers enjoying fatter borrowing margins

23 December 2022
Tighter financial conditions are raising borrowing costs, which is starting to depress housing demand in Asia, according to a recent study by the International Monetary Fund.
Property

From Hong Kong to Malaysia, property markets set to decline: IMF

Shift in interest rate cycle creates 'downside risks', organization says

15 December 2022
From late 2024 at the earliest, new rules in Singapore will require ride-hailing and food delivery companies to contribute to social security savings schemes for their workers.
Technology

Singapore's gig economy braces for 'complex' safety net rules

ASEAN's first protections for platform workers have regional implications

8 December 2022
Singapore's nonoil exports shrank 5.6% on the year in October, breaking a nearly two-year streak of consistent expansion.
Economy

Singapore sees 2023 GDP growth as low as 0.5% as exports slump

City-state trims Q3 figure for this year, expects 'around 3.5%' expansion in 2022

23 November 2022
Thai Air Asia's reservations for flights to Japan are on the rise ahead of the holiday season.
Travel & Leisure

Thailand, Singapore tourists jump in line as Japan opens borders

Southeast Asia travel industry eyes recovery with weak yen fueling strong demand

26 October 2022
Infineon employees input jobs on an automated guided vehicle, which allows flexibility in transporting materials around the factory floor: Singapore's exploitation of robots offers lessons for the world.
Opinion

Robots have made Singapore a modern manufacturing success

Long-term strategic planning vital for preserving industrial economy

24 October 2022
Singaporean authorities are attempting to keep inflation in check.
Economy

Singapore tightens monetary policy again; Q3 GDP up 4.4%

Fifth round of tightening in a year aims to counter persistent inflation

14 October 2022
A competition for the best of the best workers is heating up across Asia, as governments and companies seek the talent they need to accelerate growth in the wake of COVID-19.
Asia Insight

From Singapore to Thailand, Asia dangles visas to lure high-fliers

New programs kick off as companies struggle to find skilled workers

4 October 2022
Singapore is buzzing this week as F1 racing returns for the first time since 2019. (File photo by EPA/Jiji) 
Economy

F1's return gives Singapore pole over Hong Kong in 'MICE' race

Competition to host meetings and events heats up as COVID barriers come down

30 September 2022
People shop for food in a market in Hanoi: Vietnam's economy is to grow faster than its Asia-Pacific peers this year, expanding by 7.2%, the World Bank said in its latest forecast.
Economy

Vietnam emerges as Asia's growth leader as China slows

Food, fuel subsidies risk long-term distortion, warns World Bank

27 September 2022
Workers in Singapore: Asian employers are more eager to bring people back to offices than Western companies, research suggests.
Coronavirus

From Singapore to Japan, workers get restless as offices call

Surveys signal clash between employer and employee priorities after COVID

19 September 2022
Emerging economies' public- and private-sector debts are rising quickly, reaching 252.4% of gross domestic product in April to June, and are likely to keep growing this year.
Economy

Inflation spending to swell debt in emerging Asia

Borrowing harder for emerging economies due to dollar's rise, IFF warns

15 September 2022
U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participate in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity launch event in Tokyo on May 23. 
Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific nations to agree on better supply chain communication

IPEF draft statement for Sept. 8-9 meeting also includes push for clean energy

4 September 2022
Singapore's stellar e-governance systems have reduced service delivery times and provided secure, virtual access through times of crisis, such as the COVID pandemic.
Opinion

Singapore has lessons to offer the world on digitizing government

G-20 can be a platform for sharing best practices with developing nations

30 August 2022
Office workers go to lunch in Singapore's central business district. The city-state aims to attract more talent with a new visa.
Economy

Singapore offers new elite visa as global talent hunt heats up

Expats earning $21,000 a month can stay 5 years, have multiple employers

29 August 2022
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has warned of "profound implications" from the Ukraine war for Asia and the city-state, economically and in terms of security.
Economy

Singapore cuts Q2 GDP growth to 4.4%, downgrades range for 2022

Full-year forecast trimmed to 3-4% amid Ukraine disruptions, Taiwan tensions

11 August 2022
Rights groups define some torture tools, such as shock devices and spiked batons, as "inherently abusive." (Photo of electric shock batons supplied by the Omega Research Foundation)
International relations

World trade in torture tools flourishes under lack of scrutiny

U.N. weighs first global-level controls, but China and other nations contest remit

10 August 2022
Fitch Ratings said in a report last month that Singapore banks are poised to benefit from the rise in global interest rates as economic recovery continues across the lenders' key markets.
Finance

DBS, other ASEAN banks ride U.S. rate hikes to stronger earnings

Southeast Asia's largest banks expect higher returns from lending

5 August 2022
Singapore Airlines will restore its India operations to pre-pandemic levels, while adding more flights to Japanese cities such as Tokyo and Osaka.
Transportation

Singapore Airlines returns to profit as Asia travel surges

Carrier warns of inflation, as it and city-state prepare for more visitors

28 July 2022
Malaysia's liquefied natural gas exports more than doubled by value in June.
Trade

Malaysia, Indonesia exports surge as energy and food prices soar

China slowdown and U.S. rate hikes loom over robust ASEAN trade

28 July 2022