Thailand

Topp Jirayut Srupsrisopa, the young chief executive of Bitkub Capital Group Holdings, is the company's public face and well known in Thailand. (Source photos by AFP/Jiji) 
Cryptocurrencies

Thailand's SCB delays deal with Bitkub amid tighter crypto rules

Postponement raises concern about growth curbs on nation's digital money trade

21 July 2022
AIS CEO Somchai Lertsutiwong ahead of a 900MHz spectrum auction.
Telecommunication

Thailand's AIS hones edge in 5G as wireless rivals plan megamerger

Top carrier seeks more market share with broadband deals and expanded coverage

20 July 2022
More Thai companies are investing in the country's surging EV sector, with battery production a priority.
Automobiles

Thai EV battery market heats up as key players jump in

Companies pour money into push to make country ASEAN production hub

19 July 2022
Thailand's Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha walks past an honour guard in Bangkok in May.
Turbulent Thailand

Thailand's Prayuth Chan-ocha fights economy, Thaksin's popularity

Ruling coalition frays ahead of no-confidence motion and eventual elections

18 July 2022
A protester waves the Sri Lankan flag outside then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office in Colombo on July 13. With the post now vacant, an election is to be held on July 20.
Your Week in Asia

Sri Lanka elects new president, Japan CPI, Thailand no-confidence vote

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

17 July 2022
TEPCO installs solar panels on the roofs of factories in Southeast Asia through a joint venture. (Photo courtesy of Tokyo Electric Power Co. Holdings)
Energy

Japan solar businesses vie for Southeast Asian rooftops

TEPCO and Eneos see opportunities in region dependent on fossil fuels

17 July 2022
Stream article image
Feeding Asia

Asia's agricultural revolution: planting a high-tech future

Population, inflation, climate stoke innovation to grow more with less

15 July 2022
Thai band 4Mix is building up a global fan base and has performed songs in Spanish and Japanese. (Courtesy of the Royal Thai Embassy in Japan)
Arts

Thai songs chase K-pop to become Asia's next big hit

Streaming revolution helps artists break into international markets

15 July 2022
Teijin Nakashima Medical is considering launching a manufacturing unit in Thailand or teaming with a local partner. (Photo courtesy of the company)
Health Care

Teijin targets orthopedic surgery market in Thailand

Japanese group seeks approval for bone-treatment device in Asia expansion

13 July 2022
A former advertising copywriter and fashion magazine journalist, Veeraporn Nitiprapha confesses she began writing novels at age 44 to impress her bookish son and as an antidote to "telling lies" in her previous jobs by "giving hope to people only by making them buy things." (All photos courtesy of Veeraporn Nitiprapha)
Arts

Thai author transforms recent history into intimate fables

Veeraporn Nitiprapha's complex novels have found a wide following

13 July 2022
Shoppers ride an escalator outside a Bangkok mall on July 5. Although the government has relaxed COVID-related mandates, many Thais continue to wear masks in crowded spaces.
Coronavirus

Thailand's misleading COVID numbers cast a shadow on reopening

Health experts warn of undercounted cases after restrictions lifted

12 July 2022
Bridgestone aims to to cut its number of production sites worldwide by 40% by the end of 2023.
Companies

Bridgestone to shut down Hong Kong aircraft tire plant

Japanese tire giant to concentrate operations in Thailand

12 July 2022
Tottenham's Son Heung-min is arguably the most recognizable South Korean in any field, anywhere. The English Premier League team is looking to cash in on that star power on its visit to Seoul.
Sports

European soccer giants head back to Asia after COVID-induced break

Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham among those kicking off preseason tours to region

11 July 2022
Southeast Asia's education sector was overshadowed by COVID but has quickly returned to pre-pandemic demand levels.
DealStreetAsia

Navis Capital invests $110m in education portfolio, adds Thai asset

Southeast Asian private equity firm tapping demand for 'affordable education'

10 July 2022
Cambodia, which started vaccinating children aged 3 to 5 in February, leads Nikkei's COVID recovery index.
COVID-19 Recovery Index

Cambodia, Vietnam top COVID recovery index as Asia fears new waves

Cases on the rise again in Japan and Indonesia due to new subvariants

8 July 2022
As more Asians turned to the internet to conduct their daily lives during the pandemic, it was up to data centers to make sure everything ran smoothly.
Property

From Singapore to Japan, data centers come under investor scrutiny

JLL consultancy says much of industry is in the dark about how to cut emissions

8 July 2022
Poster artist Banhan Thaitanaboon at the "Bai Pid" exhibition at Bangkok’s Woof Pack gallery. After a decadeslong hiatus from movie poster painting, growing fan interest and special commissions have led him to pick up his paintbrush again. (Courtesy of Tanasak Boonlam)
Arts

Thailand's unique movie posters steal the show

Hand-painted montages and their artists play starring role in Bangkok exhibition

6 July 2022
A woman shops at a supermarket in Singapore. Food prices have surged in Southeast Asia. (Photo by Takashi Nakano)
Inflation

Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia unleash cash to ease inflation bite

Governments attempt to balance political pressures with fiscal discipline

6 July 2022
China's Great Wall Motor sold 500 limited-edition Ora Good Cat EVs, its entire stock, in 58 minutes at the model's launch last week.
Automobiles

Chinese automakers dominate booming Thai EV market

Government pushes PTT-Foxconn joint venture to roll out cars within year

5 July 2022
A breast cancer patient smokes a joint in Bangkok after marijuana was decriminalized last month. Across Asia, cannabis policies remain broadly restrictive, with some inconsistencies and loopholes.
Asia Insight

Smoke signals: Thailand blazes trail for cannabis in wary Asia

Recreational use still far-off prospect as taboos persist from ASEAN to Japan

5 July 2022
The economies of ASEAN's five biggest members will grow 5.0% in 2022, according to the latest survey by JCER and Nikkei in June, thanks to the reopening of borders.
Economy

ASEAN economy to slow down in 2nd half of 2022: JCER/Nikkei survey

Economists see inflation, U.S. rate hikes weighing on region despite COVID easing

4 July 2022
AIS will buy a 99.87% stake in 3BB, a leading broadband internet provider. (Source photos by Yumi Kotani and screenshot from Triple T's website)
Telecommunication

Thailand's AIS acquires broadband internet provider 3BB

Telcom spends $908m to grab bigger market share ahead of rivals' megamerger

4 July 2022
In Thailand, issuances from companies such as food producer Thai Union and Skytrain operator BTS have surged from 2018 to 2021.
Bonds

ASEAN governments rush to issue green bonds

From Thailand to Singapore, sustainable financing up in the face of climate change

4 July 2022
Mahathir Mohamad was Malaysia's prime minister during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, when he took the controversial decision to defy IMF advice on how to manage the situation. (Source photo by Tetsuya Kitayama) 
Market Spotlight

Mahathir: Deeper currency markets have cut risk of Asian financial crisis repeat

But former Malaysian PM says Sri Lanka is a lesson to region's governments

4 July 2022
The Thai baht's plunge on July 2, 1997, touched off the Asian financial crisis. Twenty-five years later, the region's resilience is being put to the test.
Economy

COVID, inflation stress-test Asia 25 years after financial crisis

Risks simmer in smaller economies as debt burden swells

2 July 2022