Economy

For Apple and other tech companies, Thailand is emerging as an important alternative production base to China. (Source photos by Reuters)
Supply Chain

Apple in talks with suppliers to make MacBooks in Thailand

U.S. tech giant turning out Apple Watch in Southeast Asian country

13 April 2023
A truck transports a container at a port in Shandong province, China. Economists expect exports of goods and services to China to support ASEAN economies.
Economy

Thai, Malaysian outlooks improve on tourism, China recovery: JCER

Economists say U.S. bank fallouts emerge as new concern for Asia

2 April 2023
Thailand's central bank is expected to maintain its hawkish monetary stance for a few more months as it tries to bring inflation down to its target range of 1% to 3%.
Economy

Bank of Thailand raises key rate to 1.75%, a four-year high

Economists expect central bank to maintain hawkish stance for now

29 March 2023
Chinese customers pose in Thai student uniforms at the Sriphan store. (Photo from Sriphan's Facebook page)
Travel & Leisure

Thai school uniform boom in China fuels hope for tourism recovery

Social media post by Chinese actress starts cosplay trend among visitors

19 March 2023
Potash for sale in Kolkata: The price of this key ingredient for fertilizer has shot up globally since the start of the Ukraine war.
Commodities

Thailand to revive potash mining project to cut fertilizer prices

Government to lead investment in hopes of raising domestic supplies

18 March 2023
The port of Bangkok. Thailand aims to eliminate tariffs on exports to the European Union's 27 countries through resumption of trade talks.
Trade

Thailand, EU agree to restart trade talks halted by 2014 coup

Bangkok aims for tech transfers and boosting exports in critical industries

16 March 2023
The new True Corporation debuts on the Stock Exchange of Thailand on March 3 at about 24 cents per share. (Source photos by Reuters and Yumi Kotani)
Telecommunication

True stock debuts as CP finalizes Thai telco megamerger

New entity with Telenor's DTAC announces $200m startup fund

3 March 2023
Myanmar migrant workers at a camp for construction staff in Bangkok. Experts say the longer military rule in Myanmar lasts, the more people are likely to leave for Thailand.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar citizens eye escape to Thailand to avoid conflict at home

Strife-torn country pushing out the weary looking for peace of mind

21 February 2023
Nonperforming loans in Thailand banks have fallen consistently throughout 2022. 
Economy

Thai banks' bad loans decrease as debt restructuring picks up pace

But late payments up as households, small businesses struggle in uneven recovery

20 February 2023
Tourists at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on Jan. 4. The recovery in tourism has helped the Thai economy but exports remain in a slump.
Economy

Thai GDP grew 2.6% in 2022 as slow exports outweighed tourism gain

Slumping trade behind country's tepid October-December 1.4% rise

17 February 2023
Drought in Cambodia is expected to reduce Vietnam's supply of rice, hindering its ability to export more of the staple to the Philippines.
Agriculture

Thai rice exports to Philippines set to double as Vietnam cuts back

Fresh demand to help boost Bangkok's annual trade in staple to 8.2 million tons

16 February 2023
Tourists take a selfie at Wat Arun temple in Bangkok in January. Starting in June, travelers arriving by air will have to pay a tax of nearly $9.
Economy

Thailand to charge $9 tourist tax from June in sustainability push

Fees to serve as insurance for emergency expenses

15 February 2023
Thailand was the third country in ASEAN, after Singapore and Malaysia, that kicked off virtual banking at a time of digital disruption.
Finance

Thailand's big corporations scramble for virtual bank licenses

CP Group, Gulf Energy, AIS join the race as kingdom's financial market heats up

14 February 2023
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, right, attends a welcoming ceremony in Bangkok with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. This was the leaders' first meeting since Anwar took office in November.
Trade

Thailand, Malaysia leaders agree to bolster bilateral trade

Anwar 'optimistic' on facilitating Bangkok's talks with southern rebels

10 February 2023
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
Chinese tourists flocked to Asian destinations like Bali, Indonesia, during the Lunar New Year holiday.
Markets

Hopes for China's economic reopening buoy Asian currencies

Positive signs draw money back to emerging markets, but uncertainty remains

4 February 2023
The Bank of Thailand has set an inflation target of 1% to 3%. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Bank of Thailand raises key policy rate to 3 year-high of 1.5%

Central bank focused on inflation as regional peers make different moves

25 January 2023
Vietnamese tourists dressed in traditional Thai costumes take a selfie at Wat Arun temple ahead of the Lunar New Year in Bangkok on Jan. 18.
Markets

Thai baht, equities gain on tourism boost during Lunar New Year

Financial trade tax and election create mixed economic outlook

23 January 2023
The new Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal resembles an airport terminal from the outside. (Photo by Yohei Muramatsu)
Transportation

Bangkok's new train terminal offers hope for end to traffic woes

Japan-backed project highlights new possibilities for infrastructure tie-ups

21 January 2023
China is set to announce on Tuesday GDP growth rates for the last quarter and the 2022 full year, along with other key economic data. In December it scrapped its zero-COVID strategy, which had weighed on growth.
Your Week in Asia

Davos 2023, China GDP, Chinese Lunar New Year starts

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

15 January 2023
Thai baht notes at a bank in Bangkok. The Bank of Thailand will hold the Monetary Policy Committee this week.
Economy

China returns as Thailand's top investor through electronics, EVs

Thai investment authority approves $118m BYD battery plant

14 January 2023
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
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourist arrivals in Asia are expected to return to 2019 levels next year -- putting at risk once again the region's rich environmental and cultural heritage.
Asia Insight

Can ASEAN avoid overtourism as arrivals return to pre-COVID levels?

Governments struggle toward a more sustainable and equitable hospitality sector

20 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
Vietnamese technical interns work at a construction site in Tokyo. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Japan immigration

Japan to lose pay appeal for Vietnamese, Indonesian workers by 2032: study

Stagnant Japanese wages risk making Southeast Asians look elsewhere for jobs

5 December 2022