By Edward Barbour-Lacey Oct. 29 – Thailand is increasingly gaining a reputation as the “Detroit of the East,” in reference to the golden age of Detroit when it was the world’s automobile factory. Thailand is well on its way to becoming one of the most attractive places in the world to manufacture automobiles. One of[…..]
Oct. 24 – Malaysia has a flexible visa policy that allows a majority of countries to enter without a visa for business trips that do not last longer than 90 days, including foreign nationals from the United States, France, Australia, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, it is important to check ahead of time[…..]
Indonesia, currently hosting the annual APEC CEO Summit, will relax its tourist visa application process in a move that should help increase the numbers of travelers visiting the country.
Chinese President on tour visiting Indonesia & Malaysia prior to APEC Summit Indonesia Oct. 3 – Chinese President Xi Jinping has again suggested the development of an ASEAN Bank that would invest in infrastructure throughout the region and that China would be prepared to invest in. China is not a member of ASEAN. Xi was[…..]
Sept. 19 – The leaders of the capital cities within the 10 ASEAN countries have begun to enhance inter-ASEAN relations through increased cooperation in response to preparing for upcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) – an initiative for the creation of a single ASEAN market, which is slated to be complete by the end of 2015[…..]
Sep. 3 – At the end of August a Thai contractor, Sermsaguan Construction Company Ltd., began construction on facilities at Laos’ Thanalaeng station. This station is the start of a railway linking Laos’capital city Vientiane with Thailand’s Nong Khai province. This is just one of many upcoming rail projects for Laos. The first phase of[…..]
Aug. 16 – A recent report released by market research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan notes that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expected to become the fifth largest buyer of cars by 2019. Fueled by rising incomes and a prime-age demographic, ASEAN’s automobile market has been forecasted to grow at a compound[…..]
Aug. 14 – This week Myanmar approved the Incheon International Airport Corporation’s bid for the construction of a US$1.1 billion airfield to be located within the country’s commercial center of Yangon. The airport, to be called the Hanthawaddy International Airport, will begin construction next year under the management of Incheon, a Korean company with experience[…..]
Jul. 23 – According to Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So, the 10-nation ASEAN bloc and Hong Kong are expected to begin negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA). This agreement would rapidly expand the volume of trade and investment between the two sides. Currently in the preparatory stage, the agreement[…..]
Jul. 19 – The ASEAN nations have recently agreed to better monitor the burning of jungles throughout the region – especially in Indonesia and Malaysia – by way of a newly signed agreement after thick smoke has clouded parts of Singapore for much of the past month. The agreement allows for the better dissemination of monitoring[…..]