Laos myanmar thailand

Foreign Trade Department director-general Keerati Rushchano said Thailand’s cross-border trade with four neighbouring countries, namely Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, stood at 760 billion baht, down 8.01 per cent year-on-year. He said Malaysia remained as Thailand’s biggest border-trade partner followed by Laos with border trade standing at 190 billion baht, sliding 3.85 per cent, Myanmar at 165 billion baht, dropping by 14.7 per cent, and Cambodia at 156 billion baht, falling by 3.15 per cent. "Thailand’s cross-border trade is expected to recover and expand between 3.0 and 6.0 per cent this year following the distribution of Covid-19 vaccine, as well as global economic recovery,” he said in a statement. Keerati said Thailand’s cross-border trade, including transit trade is projected to generate between 1.36-1.40 trillion baht compared to 1.31 trillion baht in 2020. Overall border trade, including transit trade, declined 1.7 per cent last year due to closure of border … [Read more...] about Malaysia-Thailand border trade falls 9.1% in 2020

Hi all, In today's bulletin: Two people were killed and several others injured when Myanmar police fired on protesters in northern Myitkyina town; American and Chinese spacecraft reach Mars in quick succession last month, sparking talk of a space race between the two major powers; Indonesia eases rules to attract foreign investment; and more. Reading this on the web or know someone who might enjoy receiving Asian Insider? Our sign-up page is here . More killed in Myanmar protests as unions call for economic shutdown Two people were killed  and several others injured when Myanmar police fired on protesters in the northern town of Myitkyina on Monday (March 8), witnesses said. This was as shops, factories and banks were closed in Myanmar’s biggest city Yangon on Monday (March 8), after major trade unions called for a shutdown of the economy as part of the uprising against the country’s military rulers who had ousted the civilian government in a Feb 1 coup. … [Read more...] about Asian Insider, March 8: More deaths in Myanmar protests; US-China rivalry extending to space

Solidarity between pro-democracy advocates has been gaining momentum across Asia in the last couple of months, both in cyberspace and in the streets. The informal Milk Tea Alliance unites like-minded political activists from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Myanmar. Although their agendas at home vary, protesters clashing with riot police in Myanmar can relate to Thais demanding reform of the monarchy. Hong Kongers contesting Beijing’s National Security Law , meanwhile, can resonate with Taiwanese resisting Chinese mainland encroachment. Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a professor of political science at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University, told DW that the growing transnational movement "has aligned the aspirations of young demographics across Asia, favoring democratic norms and values against authoritarianism in their countries and beyond." How did the Milk Tea Alliance come about? In recent months, young pro-democracy activists in Asia have shown how online activism can morph into … [Read more...] about Asia’s ‘Milk Tea’ activists cross borders for democratic change

Facebook and Twitter have taken down more than a dozen disinformation networks, including more than 900 Twitter accounts linked to the Royal Thai Army, that they said were used by political and state-backed groups in multiple countries to deceive users. “Our investigation uncovered a network of accounts partaking in information operations that we can reliably link to the Royal Thai Army (RTA),” Twitter said in a blog post . “These accounts were engaging in amplifying pro-RTA and pro-government content, as well as engaging in behaviour targeting prominent political opposition figures.” The social media company said the network involved 926 accounts. “[We will] continue to enforce against small-scale activity associated with this network, as we identify it.” The origins and extent of the army's efforts to paint critics in a negative light and influence public opinion online are detailed in a paper titled " Cheerleading Without Fans " and released on Thursday by the Stanford … [Read more...] about Twitter takes down Thai army IO network

The following is an opinion editorial by Ong Bo Yang. His bio and information can be found at the bottom of the article. His opinions are his own. Economists and political experts have long predicted that the Asian century will arrive sometime in the 21st century, where Asia is expected to play a major influence in global affairs, particularly economic-wise, and in international relations. The RCEP deal was signed on 15 November 2020 by Australasia nations and 13 Asian countries, illustrating Asia’s willingness to embrace multilateralism and ensure greater economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region. In Asia, there are three economic powerhouses, namely China, Japan, and India, amongst the top 6 largest economies in the world. China opened up in 1978, leading to dramatic social and economic changes in the country, reducing poverty for more than 800 million Chinese nationals in the process. The Asian country has continued to liberalize its economy and open up to foreign … [Read more...] about Opinion: The Asian century