Economy

Internet giants are the target of efforts to tighten the tax net for digital services.
Economy

From Thailand to Indonesia, taxes tighten for digital businesses

E-commerce has boomed in Asia during pandemic but new levies challenge profits

27 November 2020
A Tesco Lotus shop in Bangkok, pictured on Mar. 9: the OTCC ruled that CP Group's acquisition of Tesco's network will not create a monopoly.
Opinion

CP Group takeover of Tesco's Thai unit raises alarming questions

Regulator's green light for hypermarket deal damages competitiveness

25 November 2020
In the famous cover engraving of Thomas Hobbes' "Leviathan," the state is embodied in an authority-bearing figure presiding over a serene European landscape. But as the world tries to reimagine the state in the aftermath of COVID-19, it makes sense to look toward governments like South Korea and Taiwan, which have mixed high state capacity with plenty of technological innovation.
The Big Story

Coronavirus: Asia embraces big government to battle recession

Lavish spending, deep debt, high-tech surveillance. Is this the end of the small state tradition?

25 November 2020
A construction boom in Bangkok, and other Thai cities, has led to a supply glut.
Economy

Thailand offers cheap residency visas for condo buyers

Government push aims to attract overseas money as COVID ravages real estate

24 November 2020
Rising exports and effective control of the coronavirus have kept Vietnam's economy growing despite the pandemic.
Economy

Vietnam emerges as sole economic winner in Southeast Asia

GDP to surge past virus-hit Singapore and Malaysia on China manufacturing exodus

19 November 2020
Chinese carmakers, such as SAIC Motor, have moved more aggressively into Thailand's EV market in recent years. (Photo by Yohei Muramatsu)
Automobiles

Thailand charts EV road map with investment incentives

Program targets Chinese makers, with 30% output goal in 2030

17 November 2020
Chinese tourists from Shanghai arrive at Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport on special tourist visas Oct. 20.
Economy

Thailand's GDP contraction moderates to 6.4% in Q3

Worst days of COVID-19 are already past, economic planning agency insists

16 November 2020
A DJ plays at an empty shop in Khaosan Road, a famous tourist destination in Bangkok. Financial assistance for SMEs, including deferred loan payments, ended last month.
Companies

Pandemic-hit Thai SMEs win new debt relief from government

Tourism slump and weak consumption continue to squeeze businesses

5 November 2020
Many young people can be seen in the current protests in Thailand.
Interview

Thailand protests are 'justified': scholars weigh in on unrest

Sulak 'very proud' of activists; Suehiro notes emphasis on social justice

31 October 2020
Thai pro-democracy protesters use their phones as flashlights during a demonstration in Bangkok.
Turbulent Thailand

Tech-savvy Thai protesters take page out of Hong Kong's playbook

Russian 'secret chat' app becomes go-to tool among activists

30 October 2020
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, top center, attends the signing ceremony for a Chinese-backed high-speed rail project. (Photo courtesy of the Office of the Prime Minister)
Belt and Road

Thailand and China sign delayed deal on Belt and Road rail line

$1.6bn contract adds another piece to Beijing's vision for Asian network

29 October 2020
Sethaput Suthiwart-Narueput, newly appointed governor of the Bank of Thailand, meets the press on Oct. 20 in Bangkok.
Economy

Bank of Thailand's new chief wary of fallout from protests

Sethaput poised to take necessary steps as protesters vow to continue rallies

20 October 2020
An airline staffer assists tourists from Wuhan, China, as they wait for a charter flight back home at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Jan. 31.  
Economy

Chinese scramble for Thailand's new special tourist visa

Move seeks to draw wealthy foreigners to help COVID-hit economy

20 October 2020
A pro-democracy protester flashes a three-fingered salute during a protest in Bangkok on Oct. 17. Authorities have shut down mass transit systems and set up roadblocks, bringing economic activity to a standstill.
Turbulent Thailand

Thai economy starts to feel pain from unrest

Shopping centers close early as mass transit shuts down

19 October 2020
Protesters clash with riot police officers in Bangkok on Oct. 16: it all comes down to the economy.
Opinion

Thailand's 'Hunger Games' crisis has its roots in dismal economics

Criticizing the monarchy was not a factor during previous periods of social unrest

19 October 2020
At least 8,000 demonstrators surrounded Government House in Bangkok on Oct. 14 after a protest and march lasting the entire day. (Photo by Masayuki Yuda)
Turbulent Thailand

Thousands of protesters surround Thailand's Government House

Student demonstrators plan to camp outside for up to three days to press reform agenda

14 October 2020
It started as U.S. government pressure on American companies to boycott specific Chinese entities. Now, that effort has widened to become a wholesale blockade of Chinese technology. 
The Big Story

Inside the US campaign to cut China out of the tech supply chain

Apple, Google and others shift production to prepare for 'decoupled' global market

7 October 2020
An internet user looks at a Facebook page at a cafe in Hanoi: digital protectionism is on the rise.
Opinion

Asian 'splinternet' threatens cross-border data collaboration

Why digital protectionism damages Asia's economic growth, innovation and security

7 October 2020
Stacks of containers are seen at Tanjung Priok port amid the coronavirus outbreak in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 3.
Economy

India and ASEAN set to return to growth in early 2021: JCER

Survey shows curbing COVID and income support keys to economic recovery

6 October 2020
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has appointed Arkom Termpittayapaisith as finance minister after leaving the position vacant for about a month.
Politics

Thailand appoints finance minister after monthlong void

To boost COVID-hit economy, prime minister picks former junta transport minister

5 October 2020
A tourist wearing a protective mask sits on a social distancing seat as she waits for her flight at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International airport.
Interview

Thailand works to reopen for investors and tourists next year

Deputy PM maintains wait-and-see stance whether to join TPP

29 September 2020
Singapore has established a new coastal and flood protection fund to help protect the country against rising sea levels.
Opinion

We cannot stop climate change, but we can be better prepared

Data and digital technology can help deliver more resilient infrastructure

29 September 2020
A Filipino family eats instant noodles, in a tent set up as a makeshift evacuation center, amid the coronavirus outbreak, in Manila.
Economy

Coronavirus pushes 38m Asians below poverty line: World Bank

Tourism collapse and weak exports fuel rise of 'new COVID poor'

29 September 2020
Trading boards at a private stock market gallery in Kuala Lumpur: governments must recognize that regulated and transparent short-selling supports efficient markets.
Opinion

Asia must rethink bans on short-selling

Being able to sell high and buy low a vital way of maintaining efficient markets

24 September 2020
A worker cleans beach chairs in Bali. The Indonesian province recently dropped a plan to begin welcoming foreign tourists.
Coronavirus

Phuket, Bali and Danang resorts gingerly weigh opening up

Tourism-dependent economies strained but on guard against COVID-19

17 September 2020