Economy

Infineon employees input jobs on an automated guided vehicle, which allows flexibility in transporting materials around the factory floor: Singapore's exploitation of robots offers lessons for the world.
Opinion

Robots have made Singapore a modern manufacturing success

Long-term strategic planning vital for preserving industrial economy

24 October 2022
Pedestrians in a shopping district of Kuala Lumpur: Years of growth have turned emerging markets into a global force of consumption in their own right.
Opinion

Asian emerging markets are not looking so bad after all

Investors remain upbeat about long-term growth prospects

24 October 2022
The Ukraine war has overshadowed Thailand's year as host of the APEC meetings. (Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
International relations

Ukraine war thwarts last APEC communique before leaders' summit

Some finance ministers draw link between Russia's invasion and inflation

21 October 2022
Indonesia's surging inflation in September forced the country's central bank to continue tightening monetary policy.
Economy

Indonesia hikes key interest rate to 4.75%, highest in over 2 years

Central bank keeps hawkish stance as inflation leaps to near 7-year high

20 October 2022
Passengers disembark at a train station in Myanmar in July 2018. Railroads can significantly cut shipping times between Myanmar and China.
Belt and Road

China carves path to Indian Ocean with Myanmar rail network

Expanding Belt and Road economic corridor opens new possibilities for trade

20 October 2022
A garment factory in Vietnam. Slow demand in the West is bad news for the country's export-oriented businesses. (File photo by Rie Ishii)
Supply Chain

Vietnamese factories go idle as orders from the West slow

In run-up to holiday, demand drops for Asian exports from smartphones to sweaters

18 October 2022
Japan's attractiveness as a place to work continues to fade as the yen weakens and wages rise in other Asian countries.
Datawatch

Foreign workers shun Japan as yen's value plunges

Average wage in dollar terms falls 40% over 10 years

16 October 2022
Singaporean authorities are attempting to keep inflation in check.
Economy

Singapore tightens monetary policy again; Q3 GDP up 4.4%

Fifth round of tightening in a year aims to counter persistent inflation

14 October 2022
Though Cambodian officials have long referred to online scam operations -- many of which are based in the coast town of Sihanoukville (pictured) -- under the term illegal online gambling, they are starting to admit to more specific romance scams or fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes. (Photo by Vann Soben)
Politics

Under foreign pressure, Cambodia dismantles some 'scam' compounds

But human trafficking still rife and government not doing enough, critics say

13 October 2022
Thailand hopes to receive at least 10 million tourists this year. 
Travel & Leisure

Thailand shifts to European, U.S. tourists to rely less on Chinese

Tourism head touts sunny weather to those facing surging heating bills

11 October 2022
Indonesian ride-hailing and delivery company Gojek says offering more choice on meal sizes can help consumers and businesses better deal with inflation. (Photo courtesy of Gojek) 
Inflation

Indonesia's Gojek urges more food size choice to fight inflation

Segment head says smaller portions can save consumers money, avoid waste

11 October 2022
A rice vendor naps at a public market in Quezon City, Metro Manila, in January 2021: Consumer price indexes may have already peaked in some Asian economies.
Opinion

Time for Asian central banks to pay heed to growth risks

Inflationary pressures are losing steam, as is region's export outlook

10 October 2022
Flooding in a residential area of Chiang Mai on Oct. 6. (Photo by Yohei Muramatsu)
Economy

Thailand's flood damage spreads, threatening economic recovery

More than 70,000 homes hit as concerns grow over downstream Bangkok

9 October 2022
Tsai's government promotes the New Southbound Policy, which encourages manufacturers to invest and set up factories in Southeast Asia. (Source photos by AP) 
International relations

Taiwanese companies in China flocking to Southeast Asia: survey

Shift indicates potential importance of President Tsai's New Southbound Policy

8 October 2022
Malaysia's Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz presents the 2023 budget to parliament on Oct. 7.
Economy

Malaysia's 2023 budget dangles cash aid, tax cut as election looms

Government compiles record 372bn ringgit plan but nods to fiscal sustainability

7 October 2022
For China, which maintains a zero-tolerance approach to containing COVID-19, AMRO slashed its growth forecast to 3.8% from 4.8%.
Economy

ASEAN+3 growth outlook dims as China's 2022 forecast cut to 3.8%

Think tank AMRO lifts overall inflation forecast for 13 economies to 6.2%

6 October 2022
Bangkok Bank, Thailand's biggest lender, raised its lending rate by 30 to 40 basis points (0.30% to 0.40%) and increased its deposit rate by 15 to 50 basis points on Sept. 29.
Finance

Thai banks' interest rate hikes spark economic concerns

Weaker baht, trade deficit, household debt pose threat as financial costs rise

6 October 2022
A supermarket seafood counter in Bangkok. Thailand's shrimp supply has suffered so much that the government greenlit imports in August. (Photo by Kosuke Inoue)
Food & Beverage

Thai shrimp output plunges by half from peak as disease spreads

World's former top exporter greenlights emergency imports to meet demand at home

6 October 2022
A combination of post-pandemic debt, inflation and currency fluctuations has thrown central banks throughout Asia into chaos this year. 
The Big Story

The money blizzard: Asia's central banks reckon with the aftermath of COVID-19

Governments from Japan to Thailand grapple with inflation, currency chaos and 'zombie companies' after biggest-ever bailout

5 October 2022
From left, Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, and Zhong Shanshan (Nikkei montage/AP/Reuters/Getty Images)
Datawatch

Asia has over 950 billionaires, outnumbering all other regions

Rich Asians are becoming more common, particularly in China and India

4 October 2022
A competition for the best of the best workers is heating up across Asia, as governments and companies seek the talent they need to accelerate growth in the wake of COVID-19.
Asia Insight

From Singapore to Thailand, Asia dangles visas to lure high-fliers

New programs kick off as companies struggle to find skilled workers

4 October 2022
The Go! hypermarket, pictured here in Vietnam's Lao Cai province, is one of several chains Central Retail operates in Vietnam. (Photo courtesy of Central Group)
Retail

Thailand's Central Retail leads rush of global retailers to Vietnam

Vietnam's exceptional economic growth draws retailers of all stripes

4 October 2022
A customer hands over Sri Lankan rupee banknotes at an open market in the capital, Colombo. The country is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in decades. 
The Big Story

Asia's ticking debt bomb: Sri Lanka crisis sounds alarm bells across region

Disaster looms in Laos, Bangladesh and elsewhere as China seems reluctant to take losses on Asian loans

3 October 2022
A worker at a state-owned Pertamina gas station in Bekasi, on the outskirts of Jakarta, updates the price display on Sept. 3 following the announcement of a fuel price hike.
Inflation

Indonesia inflation rate hit 7-year high of 5.95% in September

Increase exceeded central bank's target of 2% to 4% as oil prices surge

3 October 2022
The Thai economy, which depends heavily on Chinese tourists, will be hit by a slowdown in China. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

ASEAN economies seen hit by U.S. rate hikes in 2023: JCER/Nikkei

Economists revise down forecasts to 4.3% for five regional countries

3 October 2022