Despite the strong economic growth of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, very few Thai companies have sought to capitalise on their economies, say government and industry officials. The Industry Ministry’s Department of Industry Promotion found only a few large enterprises such as PTT Plc, the ...

Southeast Asia is witnessing an explosion of organised crime thanks to increasing economic integration, according to a new United Nations report. The illegal trafficking of people, drugs, counterfeit goods and wildlife is already estimated to exceed US$100 billion a year – more than the GDP of ...

Critics of the 1,285-megawatt Xayaburi hydropower dam in northern Laos fear recent upgrades to the controversial project won’t be enough to save the Mekong River from a critical tipping point when it starts churning out electricity at full throttle next month. After seven years of construction, ...

Southeast Asia is edging toward a single processing window for cross-border trade, but it all may be a waste of time unless the more advanced nations in the region agree to allow more products over their borders.Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia have already linked their ...

Incomplete and prospective hydropower dam projects in Southeast Asia, particularly along the Mekong River and its tributaries, are at risk of major delays and shutdowns as the COVID-19 pandemic impacts major industries, energy markets and worker safety. The government of Laos has already ordered a temporary ...

A report from conservation charity WWF said the unusual finds in the region of Southeast Asia showed it was a “hotspot” for wildlife diversity but also highlighted the threats they faced and the need to protect species and habitats from being lost. In total 155 plants, ...

South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have agreed to launch a working-level dialogue to strengthen cooperation in protecting the environment and tackling climate change, the foreign ministry said Wednesday.  The two sides have wrapped up weeks of discussions to establish the “South ...

The Mekong River in some parts of the region including Thailand and Laos has taken on a blue-green hue due to the extremely low flows, according to the Mekong River Commission (MRC). In a press release issued on Monday, the MRC said its preliminary analysis showed ...

Twenty-three law enforcement officers from Australia, Asia and Europe are in Hà Nội for the next three weeks for the 44th Asia Region Law Enforcement Management Programme (ARLEMP). The officers will study management, communication and cultural topics, and develop their skills in investigating transnational cybercrime, ...

Drug resistance is still the main concern for health authorities in Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.Yesterday, representatives from these countries called for accelerated action to eliminate malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) by the year 2030.The call comes amid concern over resistance ...

The cabinet has approved two draft memorandums of understanding (MOU) that will set in motion the effective management of water resources for countries connected to the Mekong River, says the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR). The MOUs will establish international cooperation under the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation ...

China has been a key supporter of water governance and green and sustainable development in the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) countries, a Cambodian official and an expert said on Monday. The LMC consists of six countries, namely China, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. So Sophort, secretary general ...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has published economic statistics for analyzing cross-border production arrangements in Southeast Asian countries, including those in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Economic Indicators for Southeastern Asia and the Pacific: Input–Output Tables provides supply and use tables and input-output tables, which are ...

China and a grouping of Southeast Asian nations aim to finish by the middle of next year a framework for a code of conduct to ease tension in the disputed South China Sea, state media said on August 17. Meeting in northeastern China, the two sides ...

Overlapping efforts and poor management among agencies pose serious threats to biodiversity in the Son Tra Nature Reserve, a biologist said during a dialogue on protecting the red-shanked douc langur. The Da Nang-based reserve is home to 300 red-shanked douc langurs, which are critically endangered and ...

China is willing to work with all parties to build roads, railway lines, air and sea route networks in East Asia to improve regional connectivity and trade flows, Commerce Minister GaoHucheng said on August 4. These goals can be achieved through the cooperative framework of ...

China is ready to share data on water flows into the Mekong River, a longstanding request of downstream Southeast Asian countries, a Thai foreign ministry official said on Friday. Control of the waters is politically sensitive, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers and fishermen depend ...

Prime Minister Hun Sen on 20 June slammed reports that Cambodia had succumbed to pressure from China and helped kill a strongly worded ASEAN statement on the South China Sea dispute, even as he parroted Beijing’s pre-emptive dismissal of an upcoming Hague ruling on the issue. ASEAN ...

The two-day conference on the Mekong Memorandum of Understanding  (MOU) on Drug Control kicked off in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday to discuss  current drug trends and to negotiate a new strategy.  Senior drug policy leaders from the Mekong region – Cambodia, China, Lao, Myanmar, Thailand ...

A key meeting of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation was held here on Tuesday as member states reviewed the progress made under the initiative and deliberated on a draft action plan to be adopted at the ministerial meeting next month. The Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC) was established in ...