Economy

The Bank of Thailand again raised its policy rate a quarter point to 1.25% on Nov. 29 as it tries to tamp down inflation and keep pace with interest rate rises elsewhere to shore up the baht. 
Economy

Thailand hikes key interest rate to 1.25%, lowers growth outlook

Central bank walks tightrope between interest rate gap, economic recovery

30 November 2022
Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., on the left, seen here with his cousin and House Speaker Martin Romualdez earlier this year.
Economy

Marcos' cousin, son push $4.9bn Philippine sovereign wealth fund

Maharlika Investments Fund eyes Singapore and Indonesia as models

29 November 2022
Navis Capital Partners managing partner Nicholas Bloy said the private equity fund is looking to divest the remaining assets in its continuation fund in the next year or so. (File photo by Reuters)
DealStreetAsia

Malaysian fund Navis seeks exits for continuation assets

Economic challenges affecting consumer businesses: managing director

29 November 2022
Anwar Ibrahim talks on the phone in Putrajaya on his first work day as prime minister on Nov. 25: He must turn his attention to next year's budget. (Handout photo from Malaysia's Prime Minister Office)
Opinion

Anwar is Malaysia's best bet for navigating its challenges

Commitment to reform will be key for addressing economy's structural problems

29 November 2022
Food stalls are seen behind a hotel in a special economic zone in the northern Laotian town of Boten, on the border with China. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Belt and Road

Thriving on China's Belt and Road, Laos border town ditches kip for yuan

But rail cargo still weak due to zero-COVID while debt to Beijing looms large

27 November 2022
A satellite survey taken between 2015 and 2020 by researchers at the University of Rhode Island reveals that Asia accounts for 17 of the 20 fastest-sinking cities in the world.
Datawatch

Flood risk rises in Asia as cities grow, land sinks

Water hazards affect one-third of region's population

27 November 2022
A car departs for a road test with 40% palm-based biodiesel in Jakarta: Biodiesel is already the largest source of renewable energy in Indonesia.
Opinion

Indonesia's green-energy transition is serious business

Agribusinesses are replacing fossil fuels with waste byproducts

24 November 2022
Singapore's nonoil exports shrank 5.6% on the year in October, breaking a nearly two-year streak of consistent expansion.
Economy

Singapore sees 2023 GDP growth as low as 0.5% as exports slump

City-state trims Q3 figure for this year, expects 'around 3.5%' expansion in 2022

23 November 2022
The growing number of foreign tourists making their way through Suvarnabhumi, Thailand's main airport, near Bangkok, has become something of an economic barometer. 
Economy

Thailand GDP expands 4.5% in Q3, buoyed by tourism

Private spending also helps economy mimic pre-COVID era but inflation weighs

21 November 2022
People wade through a flooded street following heavy rain in the Philippines in October. The Asia-Pacific region has been hit hard by extreme weather this year.
COP27

AI weather forecaster sets sights on battered Asia-Pacific

CEO: Machine learning quickly adapts to extreme weather from climate change

20 November 2022
Heavily dependent on imports for their wheat supply, many Asian countries are facing growing risks of food security in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Datawatch

Growing appetite for wheat exposes Asia's soft underbelly

Consumption up 30% in 10 years but Ukraine war threatens food security

20 November 2022
Indonesian President Joko Widodo gave an exclusive interview to Nikkei Asia on Thursday after his successful chairing of the G-20 summit in Bali this week. 
Interview

Indonesia bags pledges for $71bn from G-20 presidency: Jokowi

President plans 2036 Olympic bid to 'showcase' new capital Nusantara

18 November 2022
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, center, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, arrive for the APEC leaders meeting in Bangkok on Nov. 18.
International relations

APEC opens atop Russia-U.S.-China fault lines

As leaders gather, Thailand aims for pact to codify sustainability agenda

18 November 2022
The central banks of Indonesia and the Philippines both raised rates on Thursday. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Economy

Indonesia, Philippines hike key rates in bid to tame inflation

Prices rising faster than central bank targets in both Southeast Asian nations

17 November 2022
Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks during a news conference after the Group of 20 leaders summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 16.
G20 Summit

G-20 ends with missile in Poland aggravating war concerns

'Tough' debate over language on Ukraine in leaders' declaration, Jokowi says

16 November 2022
The venue for the APEC summit at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok on Nov. 14: The reinvigoration of the group must be led by the private sector.
Opinion

APEC should look to business for leadership

Regional grouping has lost its luster as a force for trade liberalization

16 November 2022
The Rama VIII bridge along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok was illuminated ahead of the APEC Summit 2022 that kicks off on Friday.
Economy

Thailand asks business to power down as leaders arrive for APEC

Energy crunch dims Bangkok while global economic leaders convene

14 November 2022
The third-quarter growth rate signals Malaysia's economic recovery from the two-year-long COVID-19 pandemic.
Economy

Malaysia's Q3 GDP grew 14.2%, highest in over a year

Growth beat forecasts with strong exports, accelerated from previous quarters

11 November 2022
Containers at Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi. An uptick in political engagement between key Asian and Gulf economies noted by experts is expected to result in tangible deals that will drive trade growth.
Trade

Saudi and Gulf state trade with emerging Asia to rise 60% by 2030

U.K. think tank says 'uptick in political engagement' boosts economic ties

7 November 2022
The Tanjung Priok port in Jakarta on Aug. 3. Indonesia's exports between January and September reached $219 billion, up 33% from the first three quarters of last year.
Economy

Indonesia's GDP grew 5.72% in July-September quarter

Economic growth accelerated from Q2, buoyed by exports of coal, palm oil

7 November 2022
Russia has pulled out of a U.N.-brokered deal that ensured safe passage for ships carrying grain from Ukraine.
Ukraine war

Global food crisis set to deepen as Russia pulls out of grain deal

Black Sea area is key supplier of wheat and corn to Asia, other regions

1 November 2022
Indonesian Investment Minister Bahlil Lahadalia says his country can offer value-added tax exemptions and swifter licensing for investors in the proposed new capital on the island of Borneo. (Photo by Rhyannon Bartlett-Imadegawa)
Interview

Indonesia to extend land permits up to '100 years' in Nusantara

Investment minister '100% certain' of finding investor funding for new capital

29 October 2022
A company displays lumber in Vietnam, whose wood products industry is grappling with risks ranging from the Ukraine war to fake forest certificates and U.S. trade probes. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Supply Chain

Vietnam's wood trade under pressure from logging, Ukraine war

Murky origins plague furniture sector coming down from COVID-fueled buying spree

28 October 2022
Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo visits construction sites in Nusantara on Oct. 25, citing "good progress." (Photo courtesy of presidential office)
Politics

Jokowi tries reassuring investors on Nusantara

Indonesia president offers tax holiday, stresses 'good progress' on new capital

26 October 2022
Thai Air Asia's reservations for flights to Japan are on the rise ahead of the holiday season.
Travel & Leisure

Thailand, Singapore tourists jump in line as Japan opens borders

Southeast Asia travel industry eyes recovery with weak yen fueling strong demand

26 October 2022