World News
World news, global politics, business, technology, and culture—stay updated with breaking stories, international trends, and major events. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted source for global news.
-
Sponsored 12Go introduces Japan Rail Passes to enhance travel accessibility for international travellers
For those who have travelled throughout Thailand, 12Go is a well-known provider of various trips, though the platform itself has a much wider reach. Ranging from buses to planes, 12Go is undoubtedly a leading booking platform for travel throughout the...
-
“Build ASEAN brands” says AirAsia CEO
The CEO of AirAsia, Tony Fernandes, has told ASEAN governments to help create and strengthen “ASEAN brands” to drive the regional economy. Addressing the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit 2019, Mr. Fernandes says, although ASEAN is the world’s fourth largest economy, there are few ASEAN brands with impact beyond their national or regional boundaries. He blamed “both visible and invisible…
-
American convicted by Cambodian court for sex abuse of underage girls
PHOTO: khmer440.comA Cambodian court has sentenced an US citizen to 2 years 6 months jail on charges of sexual abuse of three underage girls. Ying Srang, a spokesman for the Siem Reap Provincial Court, says Rugh James Cline was convicted on Thursday over ‘indecent acts against minors under 15 years of age’. The court proceedings state he paid three underage girls…
-
Sit down, shut up and hang on – The Asian century is here
GRAPHIC: paragkhanna.com In the nineteenth century, the world was ‘Europeanised’. In the twentieth century, it was ‘Americanised’. This century it is all about being ‘Asianised’. With more than half of the world’s population, Asia has gone swiftly from low to middle-income status in a single generation. Today, its global share of trade grows quickly, along with capital, people, knowledge, transport,…
-
ASEAN should use the power of its 650 million people – Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad
“The 94 year old Malaysian leader also discussed secrets behind his longevity.” 94 year old Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad says that the 10 ASEAN countries should find ways to better use their 650 million population to spur their economies in the digital age. “Despite its huge combined population, ASEAN has still failed to create an effective domestic market the way China…
-
Thai PM will negotiate the GSP issue with US officials during ASEAN Summit
Thailand will hold talks with US officials, about the GSP (Generalised System of Preferences) suspension for Thai exports to the US market, on the sidelines of the weekend’s ASEAN Summit, being held in Bangkok. Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha says there are still six months in which to resolve the issues before the suspension of trade benefits for up to 500…
-
Philippines lifts restriction on rice imports from Thailand
PHOTO: VietnamPlus The Philippines has suspended a trial measure put in place to control imports of Thai rice following objections from Bangkok. The measure was initially put in place after the Philippine Department of Agriculture deemed existing regulations too lax. Rice imports had been under the control of the country’s National Food Authority until the government took over and attempted to…
-
Red shirts get four years for 2009 Pattaya protests
PHOTO: A decade ago when Red Shirts stormed the ASEAN Summit in Pattaya – Reuters Passionate remnants of the former red-shirt (pro-Thaksin Shinawatra) movement are considering their situation after this weeks’ handing down of a long sentence for some members’ involvement in protests at an ASEAN Summit a decade ago. Three former members of the United Front for Democracy Against…
-
Second bridge connecting Thailand and Myanmar opens
The second bridge connecting the Thai north-western province of Tak and Myanmar is now open. The bridge crosses the Moei river in the Mae Sot district of Tak and is expected to give Thai exports a significant boost, up from the current 78 billion baht a year to 100 billion. The second friendship bridge was opened by the Thai Transport…
-
US downgrades delegation to ASEAN summits
The US is downgrading its participation in two Asia-Pacific summits in Bangkok next week, a move sure to disappoint Asian partners worried by China’s expanding influence. US President Donald Trump is expected to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Chile in November, but the most senior official from his administration, when Thailand hosts the annual East Asian Summit…
-
The world scrambles to attract Chinese travellers
PHOTO: pri.org Spending US$277 billion worldwide last year, Chinese travellers are the world’s top tourism spenders, by a long margin. Now the global travel industry is scrambling to capture its slice of the lucrative ‘bamboo dollar’, and falling out of Chinese travellers’ favour can have a dramatic impact on tourism figures. For example, Phuket has suffered as a result of…
-
Recession hits Hong Kong as no end in sight for anti-government protests
More than five months in to the anti-government protests that have shaken Hong Kong, Paul Chan, the city’s Financial Secretary says Hong Kong is in recession and the economy is unlikely to grow this year. Thai PBS World reports that Mr Chan says the protests have had a devastating effect on the economy and that achieving the government’s forecast of…
-
Commerce Ministry will appeal US GSP decision
Thailand will ask the United States to reconsider removal of trade preferences for Thai exports under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), according to the Ministry of Commerce. In the past, whenever trade benefits for Thai products exported to the US were suspended, Thailand has appealed to the US, according to the commerce minister, who added that it is ultimately…
-
Thai exports will suffer from Trump labour rights decision
The Thai export sector will suffer another blow after the US President Donald Trump announced on Friday the suspension of 1.3 billion dollars worth of duty-free trade for certain Thai goods, claiming Thailand has not taken steps to protect the labor rights. In a letter to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence, Trump said…
-
Asia’s burgeoning urban population growth
PHOTO: Mother Jones Asia’s urban population continues to grow rapidly, according to a report by the Asian Development Bank. According to the ADB report, looking at the average growth rates of urban population from 1970 to 2017, developing Asia’s urban population grew 3.4%, compared to 2.6% for other developing economies and only 1% for developed economies. The average growth of urban…
-
123 kilograms of marijuana seized at border
Police found big bags containing 123 kilograms of compressed marijuana at a resort hotel in the Tha Uthen district of the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom. The guests believed to have brought the contraband have fled. Tha Uthen’s district chief said on Saturday that local residents alerted authorities after seeing a few men check into at the hotel on Friday…
-
Hong Kong property investors turn to SE Asia
“But now mainland Chinese, who traditionally viewed property in Hong Kong as a safe investment, are opting for rival financial hub Singapore and other south east Asian property hot spots.” by Sam Reeves, with Catherine Lai in Singapore From luxury Singapore apartments to Malaysian seafront condos, Hong Kong investors are shifting cash into Southeast Asian property, demoralised by increasingly violent protests…
-
Bangkok to Hong Kong the world’s second most popular flight, what’s the most popular?
The world’s top five flying routes are all in the Asia Pacific region, according to an International Air Transport Association (IATA) report. Aviation writers say the growth can be attributed to the addition of flights operated by low-cost carriers in the region. Passenger traffic between Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi) and Hong Kong airport is Number Two on the list of the airports…
-
Indonesia safety committee to meet families of Lion Air crash victims
The Asean Post reports that the families of the passengers who died when a Lion Air flight from Jakarta crashed into the Java Sea, will meet Indonesian safety investigators next week. The Boeing 737 Max aircraft crashed shortly after take-off last October, killing all 189 passengers and crew. Now the families of those who died will receive a briefing on…
-
Thai Airways denies cancelling flights to 4 Asean destinations
Thai Airways has dismissed reports that it will stop flying to four Asean destinations, namely Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. In a statement issued Tuesday October 22, Thai’s president insisted there is no truth to reports that the airline will stop flights to the four destinations. He said that the company is preparing its corporate strategy, and a thorough analysis…
-
Brexit latest – Five possible scenarios
by Alice Ritchie and Joe Jackson Britain’s three year Brexit saga, the UK’s most challenging and debilitating political debacle in decades, has taken another dramatic twist with the outcome still difficult to predict. In a landmark vote, MPs finally backed an EU divorce deal – only moments later rejecting British PM Boris Johnson’s rushed timetable to turn it into law ahead…
-
Human hair trade exploits ASEAN women
Hair extensions have become an essential part of the multi-billion-dollar hair industry, with estimated annual sales of 250 million to over 1 billion USD. Based on a 2018 Research and Markets report, the global hair, wigs and extension market is expected to surpass 10 billion USD by 2023. Raw human hair has significant commercial value: it’s a coveted commodity to…
-
Thai Airways announces cancellation of six routes to four ASEAN destinations
The President of Thai Airways International says the airline is set to cancel six flight routes to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar. The Nation reports that Sumeth Damrongchaitham says the routes in question are all from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport to Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Phnom Penh, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Yangon. “These routes are all covered by a small number…
-
Thai women in Japan drug bust
Japanese Police and Customs Officials at Fukuoka Airport reported the arrest of seven Thai women who smuggled in drugs weighing more than a kilogram into Japan. The women separated the drugs into tiny bags and hid them in random places on their bodies. The women purchased tour tickets and tried to blend in as Thai tourists. When caught with the…
-
The stakes are high, the deliberations continue – Parliamentary Brexit vote
Call it Super Saturday, call it Deal or No Deal, call it the most important day in recent UK history. Today (Saturday) the UK House of Commons will gather on a Saturday, the first time for decades. Golf games have been postponed, polo sticks will have to gather dust and the cleaner’s been told to come back on Sunday. Earlier…
-
China has the most atheists, Indonesia and Philippines the most believers
“According to the survey there is a connection between religiosity, beliefs and socio-demographic characteristics like age, income and education level.” China is the least believing country in the world but belief in a God gets 100% mention in countries like Indonesia, Bangladesh and Philippines, according to the survey by Gallup International. According to the survey exploring religious tendencies of 66,000…
-
Local investor sentiment dampened by Brexit woes and slump in Chinese economy
The British pound fell today as investors fret over PM Boris Johnson’s chances of pushing his Brexit deal through the British parliament, while Asian markets were mostly down after data showed China’s economy expanded at its slowest pace in nearly three decades. The pound rallied almost to US$1.30 yesterday following news that negotiators had hammered out an agreement that would…
-
Powerful 6.4 earthquake kills five in the Philippines
PHOTO: AFP A strong 6.4 magnitude earthquake has struck the southern Philippines, killing five, including one child, destroying property and disrupting power supply. The death toll is expected to rise. The powerful quake was felt across the Mindanao region, even causing a 3-storey shopping mall to burst into flames. Residents were evacuated and a child was killed when a house…
-
Key ally rejects PM Johnson’s Brexit plan – Sterling sags
The British Pound tumbled again today after UK PM Boris Johnson’s key ally in parliament said it “could not support” his plans for a Brexit deal, throwing a spanner in the works – just as Britain and the EU were closing in on an agreement. The comment caused an immediate reaction from this morning’s Asia Pacific markets. After years of…
-
Burmese surfing team head to SEAsia Games, a first for Myanmar
PHOTO: Burmese surfer Thwe Thwe Soe practicing off the coast of Ngwe Saung – Myanmore Paddling hard and smiling, Thwe Thwe Soe flung herself up on the board just as a wave was breaking, spreading her arms out for balance before getting knocked off. “I can’t live without surfing. I did not expect to be chosen for the national team but…
-
The K-pop Olympics: performers battle in the K-pop festival
by Claire Lee On the streets, in parks and garages, seven Cuban youngsters spent seven months practising K-pop moves to secure a spot on their dream stage: an appearance in South Korea to imitate their idols. 13 final teams from 80 countries are competing in the 2019 event. At the grandly titled and government-funded Changwon K-pop World Festival contestants from…
Broke? Find employment in Southeast Asia with JobCute Thailand and SmartJob Indonesia. Rich? Invest in real estate across Asia with FazWaz Property Group or get out on a yacht anywhere with Boatcrowd. Even book medical procedures worldwide with MyMediTravel, all powered by DB Ventures.