alt

March 7th, 2019

The 99% election

Ranked the world’s most unequal country, Thailand heads to the polls

View all editions

The Big Story

The 99% election: Thais are worse off after five years of military rule

Ranked the world's most unequal country, a divided Thailand heads to the polls

Thailand readies to hold its first post-coup elections on March 24, an event postponed several times by the ruling junta. (Photo by Kosaku Mimura)
Thai princess Ubolratana briefly burst onto the political stage in February with a prime ministerial bid. (AFP/Jiji)
The Big Story

Staying above Thai politics has its challenges

The palace and military government do not always play from the same score

Some have touted the Royole FlexPai, priced at $1,300, as a potentially revolutionary product akin to early iPhones. (Photo by Yoshiyuki Tamai)
Startups in Asia

China startup undercuts Samsung, Huawei foldables

Questions over quality may limit Royole's $1300 FlexPai

A woman demonstrates a virtual reality device from SK Telecom that harnesses 5G networks at the MWC Barcelona trade show in Spain. (Photo courtesy of SK Telecom)
5G networks

South Korea to seize on world's first full 5G network

SK Group and KT lead the pack in new services like holographic streaming

A Get driver delivers food in Bangkok. The Thai food delivery market looks to grow at least 11% annually, given heavy traffic congestion.
Startups

Thailand's food delivery battle heats up as Go-Jek arrives

Indonesian unicorn hails local player Get to speed entry into growing market

The brand of Go-Jek is permeating every scene of Indonesian people's daily lives.
Interview

Go-Jek rides through regulatory obstacles for SE Asia expansion

Malaysia and Myanmar in sight for Indonesian unicorn, president says

Takeda Pharmaceutical's takeover of Irish drugmaker Shire helped to drive the surge in deal value. 
Ant Financial, which operates the Chinese mobile payment platform Alipay, raised $14 billion from investors last year.
Business trends

Asia fintech leads global funding as Alibaba and Baidu wallets thrive

Sector raised $30bn last year, nearly double North America tally

Nissan President and CEO Hiroto Saikawa speaks with Nikkei on Feb. 27. (Photo by Kei Higuchi)
Interview

Nissan was led astray by Ghosn's success, CEO says

Former chairman 'used close associates' to hide misconduct

The Philippine Navy is interested in taking a stake in the Subic Bay shipyard of the Hanjin group. (Photo courtesy of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority)
Interview

Philippine Navy looks to join rescue bid for Subic shipyard

Admiral prefers South Korean or US bidders to preserve strategic facility

AirAsia has built a network of budget airlines across much of Asia but has only been able to find reliable profits in Malaysia. (Photo by Keiichiro Asahara)
Companies

AirAsia puts profit over expansion as local rivals fight back

Southeast Asian battles slice operating profit as Vietnam entry looms

Hyflux's water treatment business is strategically important for resource-poor Singapore. (Photo by Keiichiro Asahara)
Business deals

Singapore's Hyflux to ask creditors to take a bath in April vote

Indonesian rescue hinges on water supplier winning approval to cut debt

Sun Hung Kai Properties expects to expand its portfolio of investment properties in China to 25 million square feet by 2023 from about 13 million square feet at present.
Nikkei Markets

SHK properties to nearly double China investment portfolio

First-half net profit slumps 38% as a new accounting policy drags down revenue

From 2016 to 2018, around 335,800 working visas and special work permits were issued to Chinese, representing over half the total number of permits issued to foreigners. (Photo by Kimberly dela Cruz)
Asia Insight

Duterte under the gun over Chinese influx into Philippines

President wants investment but rise in migrant workers riles critics

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump stroll on the ground of Hanoi's Metropole hotel during their second summit on Feb. 28.
Trump-Kim Summit

US and North Korea give conflicting accounts of summit collapse

Pyongyang disputes Trump's claim that Kim sought end to all sanctions

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi gained in popularity after their countries' air forces carried out raids over Kashmir.
International relations

Modi and Khan see support surge on Kashmir face-off

Pakistan to release detained Indian pilot but tensions still high

The economic potential of Rakhine State "remains untapped," Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi told investors and businesses last week.
Economy

Suu Kyi urges investment in Rohingya crisis' epicenter

Myanmar leader keen to boost rural economy as 2020 election looms

Mahathir Mohamad admitted that his government has not done enough to fulfill its election promises.
Malaysia in transition

Mahathir doles out cash to win over disgruntled Malaysian public

Prime minister makes policy U-turn to give one-off $25 payments to young voters

To stay competitive and become a "smart" city, Singapore has been investing in emerging digital technologies across various industries.
Economy

China's 'Greater Bay' threatens Singapore's finance and tech status

Analysts see huge Hong Kong-Macao project siphoning business away from city-state

China's President Xi Jinping, left, and Premier Li Keqiang arrive for the opening session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 5. (Photo by Taro Yokosawa)
China People's Congress

China adds stimulus as it cuts growth target to 6%-6.5% range

Beijing announces tax cuts, increased bond issuance to boost slowing economy

The Saudi Crown Prince meets Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on his recent visit to New Delhi, Islamabad and Beijing.
Opinion

Asia's energy importers must beware of bringing in Middle East tensions

Saudi foreign investment plans, including in Pakistan, India and China, risk provoking Iran

Using the dotted bodysuit and a smartphone app, Zozo customers can take 3D images of their bodies with measurements from their neck to their ankles. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Opinion

Super-customization -- a lifeline for Japan Inc?

While companies elsewhere are also targeting 'only for you,' Japan has big advantages

Then-Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis redirected the U.S. military's focus toward strategic competition with China.
Opinion

Washington has to think beyond the trade war

New US defense chief will need to put focus back on Asian security relationships

U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at their summit in Hanoi on Feb. 28
The Nikkei View

There can be no US-North Korea deal without denuclearization

Sanctions work, but they require global cooperation

Marjinal, one of Indonesia's most famous punk rock bands, is on tour at Soundmaker Studio in Penang, Malaysia. (Photo by Cole Yew)
Arts

Indonesia's 'dangerous' moves on music strike discord

Performers say Jakarta's proposed regulatory law threatens industry's existence

A chef at Wolf Burgers in Singapore prepares a Future Burger, made with alternative protein.
Life

'Fake meat' starts to tempt Asia's carnivores

Unsustainable eating habits challenged by new breed of 'dirty vegan' products

Many of the Vietnamese soldiers killed during the 1979 border war with China came to rest in military graveyards still scattered across northern Vietnam. (Photos by Sebastian Strangio)
Tea Leaves

Vietnam learns to live in China's shadow

Four decades on, China's 1979 border war is officially 'forgotten' in Hanoi