Concrete-stuffed bodies found in Mekong were Thai activists
The mutilated bodies of two men found stuffed with concrete in the Mekong River last month have been identified as Thai activists living in exile, police and family confirmed on Tuesday (Jan 22). The pair were among dozens of anti-monarchy activists who fled Thailand to ...
Expat survey puts Thailand fourth in Asean
Despite the many high-profile international campaigns that tout the welcoming people, exotic food and attractions of the Land of Smiles, Thailand placed fourth after Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia in this year’s survey . []The Philippines, Indonesia and Myanmar were ranked below Thailand. The positions remained unchanged ...
Environmental group praises Bridgestone's zero deforestation policy
Mighty Earth, an environmental group devoted to protecting rain forests and other endangered landscapes, is praising Bridgestone Corp. for the zero deforestation portion of its recently announced Global Sustainability Procurement Policy. []Demand for natural rubber has caused rapid deforestation in Southeast Asia, especially in Cambodia, Laos, ...
Rubber & Plastics News Staff
Lancang-Mekong protection makes gains
Environmental officials and experts from China and five other countries discussed strategic goals to promote regional environmental cooperation along the Lancang-Mekong River in a meeting on Wednesday in Beijing. The river, an international body of water, crosses all six countries-China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and ...
Huang Mingrui
ID Capital ties up with ADB to launch agritech startup accelerator for Mekong region
Singapore-based venture capital company ID Capital has partnered with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and government of Australia to launch an agritech startup accelerator. Named Mekong Agriculture Technology Challenge Startup Accelerator (MATCh), it is aimed at innovative early-stage agritech startups and traditional agriculture businesses with ...
Vietnam helps promote sustainable development in Mekong Sub-region
Contributions Vietnam made to the 8th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy Summit (ACMECS 8) and 9th Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Summit (CLMV 9) once again affirm its sense of responsibility for and activeness in joining regional cooperation frameworks, thus helping promote comprehensive and sustainable development in the Mekong ...
Vietnam attends India-CLMV trade conference in Cambodia
Potential for enhancing trade ties between India and CLMV countries (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam) was highlighted at a conference which opened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 21. Themed “India-CLMV economic development: Collaboration for regional integration”, the two-day event saw representatives from trade ministries, ...
Japan and Mekong countries to boost economic cooperation
Japan agreed to deepen cooperation with countries in the Mekong region, as Tokyo aims to maintain its influence in Southeast Asia with more and more countries falling under the sway of China. Ahead of a Japan-Mekong summit on Tuesday in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held ...
More than 800 illegal migrants arrested
More than 800 illegal migrant workers, who failed to apply for a work permit by June 30, have been arrested. []Out of 1,600 workplaces, 150 of them were found to be employing illegal alien workers. There are currently 1.1 million legal migrant workers who make up ...
Will work closely for early conclusion of RCEP talks: Suresh Prabhu
India today said it will work “closely and constructively” with all the members of RCEP for early conclusion of the negotiations for a mega trade deal. []To promote investments, the government had created a project development fund (PDF) to facilitate Indian investment in four countries of ...
The Economic Times Reporter
Gas accounts for smaller share
Thailand’s heavy dependence on natural gas for the power sector has been trimmed to 60% from 70% thanks to greater use of coal and renewable sources, says the Energy Policy and Planning Office (Eppo). The coal-fired Hongsa power plant in Laos has helped to increase the ...
Save the Mekong calls for dam review
Pressure is mounting on the Lao PDR government to conduct a fresh impact assessment study of a proposed fourth dam on the lower Mekong River according to Save the Mekong, a coalition of non-government organisations. The call for a review and a fresh impact assessment coincided ...
Civil society groups to boycott Prior Consultation on new Mekong dam
Save the Mekong, a coalition of non-governmental organizations, community-based groups and concerned citizens within the Mekong region, issued a statement on Friday announcing their intention to boycott the Mekong River Commission’s (MRC’s) Prior Consultation for the proposed Pak Lay dam. Pak Lay is the fourth ...
Mega deals lead to false trail
In a major drive to promote travel from neighbouring countries during the last quarter, the Tourism Authority Thailand has teamed up with AirAsia, Bangkok Airways and VietJet Air to offer cheap fares. The so called ‘Mega Deal to ThailandTravel Is a Big Deal” encourages tourists ...
Residents fear Mekong blasting to proceed
Residents living along the Mekong River in Chiang Rai’s Chiang Khong district have expressed strong opposition to a public hearing on China’s plans to blast away a stretch of rapids, saying there was no need for more talk about the proposal, which they would not ...
Rising Mekong No Cause for Alarm: Engineer
A state engineer Thursday dismissed panicked reports in the media and online that the Mekong River is about to flood. Water released upriver from Thailand by a Chinese dam has caused levels to rise downriver between Thailand and Laos, but despite local news and social ...
German grant to help Mekong countries deal with climate change
Germany committed to investing around 4.6 million US dollars in strengthening cross-border water cooperation among countries along the Mekong River. The fund would be utilized to bolster dialogue related to trans-boundary water resource planning and management among the lower Mekong countries: Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Keep ...
Japan partners with ASEAN countries on disaster insurance
Japan will work with Southeast Asian nations like Laos and Myanmar to provide immediate financing after natural disasters so that recovery funds can be quickly distributed. Keep reading ...
Nikkei staff writers
Drug-resistant malaria is spreading, but experts clash over its global risk
In what scientists call a “sinister development,” a malaria parasite resistant to a widely used drug combination is on the march in Southeast Asia. It has rapidly made its way in an arc from western Cambodia, through northeastern Thailand, to southern Laos; now it has ...
Leslie Roberts
Cambodian picked to guide Mekong Commission strategy
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) announced on Friday it had named Cambodian development expert An Pich Hatda as chief executive officer. It said the MRC Ministerial Council had recently chosen Hatda, a development professional by training, to be the top official at the secretariat for ...