Economy

King Power's duty-free monopoly in Thailand may be coming to an end. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Companies

Thai duty-free monopoly under pressure after election

Foreign rivals including Lotte and The Mall aim to break King Power's grip on sector

28 March 2019
E-commerce has been very good for Thailand’s durian sales. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)
Business trends

Dynamic Asia: a new center for growth

In regional shift, migrants and money flow into Asia

27 March 2019
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha poses with traditional dancers as he arrives to attend a weekly cabinet meeting days after the general election at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand, March 26, 2019. 
Thai election

Investors upbeat with pro-junta camp's election results, for now

Prayuth close to returning as prime minister, his economic policies in tow

26 March 2019
Uttama Savanayana tells the Nikkei Asian Review that his Palang Pracharat Party "would work with parties that ... would [not] damage the country." (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Thai election

Thai pro-junta party promises 6% growth, leader says

Uttama shows confidence ahead of elections but keeps door open for coalition

14 March 2019
Tech companies, such as Google and Facebook, have come under fire for their seemingly indiscriminate personal data collection practices. 
Opinion

Handling Big Tech in ASEAN

Cooperate in crafting and enforcing privacy and competition rules in digital markets

12 March 2019
Singapore's central business district. Banks from the city-state achieved strong profit growth in 2018 thanks to diverse operations and target markets.
Business trends

Southeast Asian banks log double-digit gains on strong lending

Singaporean players nab foreign cash, while Indonesia caters to individuals

8 March 2019
Farmers work in Thailand's northern Chiang Mai Province. Rural areas have been slower to recover from the recession than cities. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Thai election

Economic discontent simmers among Thailand's rural voters

Stagnant wages and farm incomes could tip March election in opposition's favor

2 March 2019
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1 March 2019
Robust economic growth is one factor supporting the baht's rise. Thailand's gross domestic product in 2018 increased by 4.1% compared to the previous year.
Markets

Thai baht soars to post-coup high, threatening local business

Junta's exports and tourism-centered economic policies come under fire in election race

23 February 2019
Thailand's general elections in March is in part being fought out on social media. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Turbulent Thailand

Thai opposition intensifies social media offensive before election

Spread of smartphones raises hope of ousting junta in first poll since 2011

21 February 2019
Children play in a village built from shipping containers that house migrant workers on the outskirts of Bangkok. About 700 people live in the settlement's 120 metal boxes. (Photo by Akira Kodaka) 
Life

Migrant workers in Thailand live harsh, but improving, reality

Bangkok takes legal steps to retain vital laborers from neighboring countries

17 February 2019
Singapore's spending on health care and other social programs will rise in 2019.
Economy

Southeast Asia's expansionary fiscal budgets put markets on edge

Governments struggle to maintain growth amid trade war and looming elections

16 February 2019
A motor show held near Bangkok in November. New-car sales in Southeast Asia increased for a third straight year in 2018. (Photo by Hiroshi Kotani)
Economy

Southeast Asian auto sales climb 6% to new heights in 2018

But slowdown seen on trade-war fallout and rising interest rates

7 February 2019
A worker assembles parts at BMW Group factory in Jakarta.
Economy

Southeast Asia bucks trend of sinking global foreign investment

Strong markets make region the world's main driver of FDI growth

4 February 2019
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4 February 2019
Thailand lags behind in cybersecurity, but experts warn the junta's response could lead to a "police state."
Turbulent Thailand

Thai cybersecurity bill to give junta license to snoop

Critics warn legislation blurs line between digital and political threats

28 January 2019
An employee works at a Mitsubishi Motors plant in Thailand. The country is known as the "Detroit of Asia" for its car production.
Economy

Thai auto production tops 2m, first time in 5 years

Brisk domestic demand drives 9% increase, but trade war hampers 2019

26 January 2019
The ban affects 27 Filipino trainees at this Mitsubishi Motors factory in Okazaki, in central Japan. (Photo courtesy of Mitsubishi Motors)
Economy

Mitsubishi and Panasonic banned from hiring foreign interns

Companies complain about the system's rigidity as labor shortage worsens

26 January 2019
For weeks, Bangkok has not seen a clear sky, as the Thai capital experiences its worst air quality in years.
Economy

Asian countries rush to fight toxic air pollution

Bangkok deploys rainmaking plane while Seoul clamps down on diesel trucks

24 January 2019
Demonstrators rally to demand the general election not be postponed in Bangkok on Jan. 8. Thailand has been under military rule since a coup in May 2014.
Turbulent Thailand

Thailand's long-awaited general election set for March 24

Parties can now launch campaigns but unclear when results will be announced

23 January 2019
Emerging economies across Asia have long had a relatively low ratio of government debt to gross domestic product.
Economy

Public debt in emerging Asia creeps past 50% of GDP

Region opens fiscal taps, but borrowing could spell trouble in next slowdown

21 January 2019
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's junta is resorting to populist policies.
Opinion

Thailand just can't quit populism

Even if elections clear the political air, country will struggle to reshape economy

17 January 2019
Tourists walk along a shopping street in Asakusa, Tokyo. Japan's visitor numbers have risen for seven consecutive years, but the rate of growth slowed in 2018. (Photo by Shihoko Nakaoka)
Economy

Visitors to Japan hit record high in 2018 but forgo shopping sprees

Moderate growth hints at waning impact as regional competition intensifies

17 January 2019
A Thai farmer carries rice stems in Nakohn Ratchasima, 200 km northeast of Bangkok. Thailand was the world's biggest rice exporter for decades but is now suffering from falling output and deteriorating quality.
Economy

Asia's rice exporters trigger a price war

Thailand likely to lose further ground in global market to India and Vietnam

16 January 2019
© Illustration by Michael Tsang
Asia Insight

Populist curse hangs over Thai economy as public awaits election

Agriculture, education and labor reforms will fill next leadership's to-do list

15 January 2019