Economy

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha says Asia must revive growth by "keeping the market open and inclusive." (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) 
The Future of Asia 2022

Thai PM Prayuth says states 'must support' multilateral trading systems

Digitalization, clean energy will be 'key drivers' for economic growth

26 May 2022
Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh says Asia "should strengthen its sense of responsibility in creating and maintaining a peaceful environment." (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) 
The Future of Asia 2022

Vietnam Deputy PM urges world to 'put aside' disagreements

Asia needs stronger 'sense of responsibility' to maintain peace, pursue prosperity

26 May 2022
Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob says Southeast Asia is "one of the most vulnerable regions to the effects of climate change." (Photo by Suzu Takahashi) 
26 May 2022
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong speaks at Nikkei's Future of Asia conference on May 26. (Photo by Tomoki Mera) 
The Future of Asia 2022

Singapore PM Lee warns of nuclear 'arms race' amid Ukraine war

U.S.-China tensions risk splitting supply chains or 'worse unintended consequences'

26 May 2022
Cards with QR codes are being given out to inbound travelers at airports, asking them to report any monkeypox symptoms.
Society

Thailand asks inbound travelers to report monkeypox symptoms

Arriving passengers from selected countries given cards with QR codes

26 May 2022
The Bank of Thailand is putting domestic needs before external pressure to raise interest rates, Governor Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput said in an interview with Nikkei Asia on May 20. (Photo by Francesca Regalado)
Market Spotlight

Interview: Bank of Thailand governor resists pressure to raise rates

Central bank will likely lift 2023 inflation forecast, but keep in target range

23 May 2022
Ending the diesel subsidy will increase the cost of consumer products in Thailand.
Economy

Thai inflation pressure grows as government cuts oil subsidy

Businesses demand curbs on spiraling diesel price

19 May 2022
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha attends a meeting with ASEAN leaders and U.S. business representatives on May 12. The Biden administration sees Southeast Asia as key to the proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.
Indo-Pacific

Thailand to join talks on U.S.-led Indo-Pacific framework

Government says decision not a binding commitment for membership

19 May 2022
Food vendors in Bangkok have raised prices due to the heavy inflation hitting Thailand.
Economy

Southeast Asia recovery at risk over inflation, China lockdowns

Thailand and Philippines downgrade GDP outlooks for the full year

18 May 2022
Thailand's exports, which expanded 19.5% in March alone, drove economic growth in the first quarter of 2022.
Economy

Thai economy back on track with 2.2% growth in Q1 as exports surge

Weak baht boosts trade, but higher inflation sapping purchasing power

17 May 2022
Famous chef Dej Kewkacha, a forerunner in Thailand's omakase boom, serves a dessert plate at Kyo Bar in Bangkok. (Photo by Niyakarn Atiyudhakul)
Business trends

Thai restaurants and bars ride the 'omakase' boom

COVID restrictions and star chefs fuel spending on high-end food and drinks

15 May 2022
Thailand lost nearly all of its tourist traffic from before the pandemic.
Currencies

Thai baht hits 5-year low as China curbs foreign travel

Beijing's COVID clampdown dims recovery outlook for Thailand's tourism industry

14 May 2022
A farmer harvests rice in Thailand. The country plans to produce more electricity by burning chaff, the residue generated during the grain harvesting process.
Environment

Thailand taps rice, sugar biomass to wean itself from fossil fuels

Nation shifts to renewables with private sector leading the charge

12 May 2022
Thailand is expected to produce 1.4 million tons of durian this year, up 17% from the previous year, as strong demand encouraged farmers to expand cultivation.
Business trends

China's zero-COVID policy bites Thai fruit growers

Can price supports and a 19-year-old rapper save the industry?

5 May 2022
Politicians up for election say that raising the earnings of workers at the bottom of the pay scale could kickstart a multiplier effect that reverberates across economies, but the chiefs of Southeast Asian industries are not so sure.
Asia Insight

Malaysia's 35% minimum wage hike stirs recovery concerns

Critics say politicians are promising happier paydays as an election ploy

26 April 2022
A farmer rides alongside a rice field north of Bangkok. Demand for Thai rice exports is accelerating in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Commodities

Thai rice exports surge as Ukraine war roils global food supply

Importers rush to snap up alternatives to Russian, Ukrainian grain

21 April 2022
Production in Myanmar's Yadana gas field faces possible disruption as Western operation partners prepare to pull out. (Photo courtesy of PTTEP)
Energy

Russia-Ukraine war prompts PTTEP to produce more oil and gas

Thai exploration arm invests massively to boost profits, secure energy supply

14 April 2022
Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith has high hopes for a high-speed railway linking the southwestern Chinese city of Kunming with Vientiane. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Transportation

Laos' logistics vision for ASEAN: All rails lead to Vientiane

Government eyes capital as link from Southeast Asia to China

4 April 2022
Western sanctions on Russia have sparked a rally in oil prices that is negatively impacting Thailand's economy.
Economy

Ukraine war hits ASEAN growth outlook: JCER/Nikkei survey

Economists downgrade GDP forecasts for the Philippines and Thailand

4 April 2022
A traveler at Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan.
Coronavirus

Japan lowers travel warnings for U.S., Thailand, 100 other nations

Many places had been on higher alert level since start of coronavirus pandemic

2 April 2022
The Bank of Thailand has revised down this year's economic growth forecast as it braces for higher prices. (Photo by Rie Ishii)
Economy

Thailand cuts 2022 growth to 3.2% as Ukraine war hits prices

Central bank hopes tourism recovers in 2023 to push GDP expansion to 4.4%

30 March 2022
A supermarket in Singapore. Rising food and energy prices are expected to weigh heavily on Southeast Asian households.
Economy

Faster Southeast Asian inflation puts rate hike outlook in focus

Central banks feel pressure to contain surging prices

30 March 2022
A containership off Singapore: Europe accounts for 9% of ASEAN exports, according to Maybank.
Ukraine war

ASEAN faces 'collateral damage' from Ukraine war's Europe impact

From Singapore to Thailand, spillover threatens COVID-hit economies anew

27 March 2022
People shop in Bangkok's Chinatown. Cybercurrencies can no longer be used as payment for goods and services in Thailand.
Cryptocurrencies

Thailand bans bitcoin, other crypto payments starting in April

Regulators seek to tamp down risk of cybertheft and money laundering

24 March 2022
A man works in a rice field in Khon Kaen, Thailand, in July 2017: the agricultural sector remains highly inefficient.
Opinion

Thai agriculture needs reform from ground up

Moribund sector's future looks bleak without fundamental change

23 March 2022