Economy

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
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
AirAsia marks small gain in 2017 profit but says fuel expenses rose substantially. (Photo by Shinya Sawai)
Transportation

Southeast Asian carriers squeezed by rising fuel costs

Thai Airways, Garuda swung to losses in 2017 but AirAsia marks small profit rise

27 February 2018
Thailand needs to push structural reforms before the next economic downturn to prepare for issues such as its aging population.
Economy

Thailand must seize the moment

Sustainable growth threatened by aging society, stronger baht and politics

27 February 2018
Thailand needs to push structural reforms before the next economic downturn to prepare for issues such as its aging population.
Politics

Thailand must seize the moment

Sustainable growth threatened by aging society, stronger baht and politics

27 February 2018
Thai Airways and other underperforming state enterprises are set for reform.
Asia300

Thai Airways back in red in crucial year of rehabilitation

Flag carrier cites higher fuel expenses and strong competition for 2017 loss

27 February 2018
A general view of factories in the industrial district of Jurong in western Singapore.
26 February 2018
Thailand hopes more trade with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union will contribute to the growth of its Eastern Economic corridor. (Getty Images)
26 February 2018
Coal is still the cheapest power source for most Southeast Asian nations, with power generation by coal expected to double by 2030. (Getty Images)
Interview

Asian coal demand to offset EU and US decline

Industry body chief predicts continued regional dominance

23 February 2018
A solar power plant of Superblock, Southeast Asia's biggest producer of solar power, in Phetchaburi province, Thailand.
Business trends

Thai renewables companies forced to seek opportunities abroad

Government control and rising competition mean less room for domestic growth

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
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, right, leaves Government House with Prawit Wongsuwan, his embattled deputy with expensive tastes in watches and jewelry.
Politics

Thailand's culture of impunity for the powerful causes backlash

A retired general's taste for expensive watches and bling stirs open public criticism

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
Laem Chabang's new terminal was scheduled to open in 2028, but now partial operations are to start in July. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)
Asia Insight

Thailand attempts do-or-die leap to a technology-driven economy

Junta courts investment to regain edge on faster-growing neighbors

20 February 2018
Employees work at an assembly line for AutoAlliance Thailand, a Ford and Mazda joint venture plant, located in Rayong province, east of Bangkok.
Automobiles

Thai automakers desperate to keep high tariff on imported cars

Region's largest car industry insists 80% duty is necessary to help business recover

20 February 2018
A record number of tourist arrivals contributed to economic growth in Thailand in 2017.
Economy

Thailand's GDP grows at fastest pace in 5 years in 2017

Exports and tourism help, but domestic demand and political risks weigh

19 February 2018
A screen displaying stock prices at Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange
Markets

Vietnam to restart sales of its stakes in blue chips

Binh Minh Plastics holding to be auctioned as government programme resumes

19 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
A ban on the import of Japanese beef in China may have created unofficial routes for the product into the country.
Economy

Is Cambodia a 'Japanese beef-laundering' hub?

Smugglers bypass Chinese import ban to satisfy hunger for prized meat

18 February 2018
Thailand has been recruiting Chinese-speaking volunteers in anticipation of a huge influx of tourists during the Lunar New Year holiday. (Photo by Takaki Kashiwabara)
Economy

China's neighbors gear up for record Lunar New Year tourism

Thais and others ready to cash in on travelers from Vietnam as well

17 February 2018
A rubber tree farmer at his plantation in Thailand's southern Nakhon Si Thammarat Province. The current price of rubber has fallen well below the record high of $6.00 a kilogram in 2011.
Economy

Thailand pays farmers to cull rubber trees

Government hopes a concerted effort to reduce production will prop up prices

15 February 2018
Trade ministers attend a meeting on the struggling RCEP free trade pact in Manila on Sept. 10, 2017.
The Nikkei View

Japan must update its bilateral EPAs for 21st-century trade

Reworking bilateral Asian deals is a key step to creating high-standard rules

15 February 2018
The Center skyscraper fetched a record price for a Hong Kong office building in late 2017.
Property

China-fueled property boom distorts markets in Asia-Oceania

Authorities move to stop overheating as soaring prices cause concern

14 February 2018
Thailand was among the countries that saw large outflows of capital.
Economy

Emerging markets see biggest portfolio outflow in 14 months

Asia hit worst as stock plunge in US unsettles investors worldwide

12 February 2018
People walk past an electronic board showing Japanese stocks in Tokyo on Feb. 6. (Photo by Akira Kodaka)
Equities

So who were the winners after tumultuous week?

Philippine's Bloomberry Resorts, Indian pharmaceuticals shine in troubled market

9 February 2018