World Bank
World Bank report on Thai education reveals unflattering results
Around 60 per cent of Thai students failed to meet the minimum proficiency level in reading, according to the latest PISA...
Cambodia facing drastic rise in poverty amid pandemic
Slum at the outskirts of Phnom Penh © Arno Maierbrugger
The poverty rate in Cambodia is expected to...
Asia-Pacific economies hit hard by coronavirus pandemic
The World Bank's East Asia and Pacific Economic Update, April 2020, illustrates the damage done by the coronavirus on Southeast Asia's...
Thailand only Southeast Asian country with rising poverty rate: World Bank
The number of people living in poverty in Thailand climbed considerably between 2015 and 2018 by almost...
Forest fires cost Indonesia more than $5billion in losses this year
Indonesia suffered damages and economic loss from this year’s forest fires of at least $5.2 billion, the...
Ease of doing business: Philippines shines, Brunei drops most in Southeast Asia
The new Doing Business Report 2020 issued by the World Bank, which measures 190 global economies on...
Myanmar lauded for easing business environment
Custom House along Strand Road in Yangon, a well-preserved British colonial building still fulfilling its original function © Arno Maierbrugger
Malaysia on track to become high-income nation: World Bank
Malaysia remains on course to become a high-income nation by 2024, the World Bank has reaffirmed its...
North Korea could follow Vietnam’s “doi moi” example
As Vietnam’s capital Hanoi prepares to host the second US-North Korea summit later this month, experts say North Korea may be gearing up to...
Bangkok smog to cause economic damage of over $200 million
The current severe air pollution crisis in Thailand’s capital Bangkok is expected to cost the country up to 6.6 billion baht ($207.8 million) in...
Cambodia’s economic growth to reach 7.3% this year
Cambodia’s economy is expected to grow by 7.3 per cent this year, spurred by the robust performance of garment exports, tourism and construction, deputy...
Thailand’s weak education system a big drawback for development
Thailand’s outdated and somewhat defunct education system is holding back a new generation from becoming productive and innovative, it turned out in the new...
Vietnam posts strong GDP growth, boosts investment abroad
Vietnam's economy continues to show strength with an impressive 7.08 per cent growth in the first half of 2018, the highest rate since 2011....
More warnings on “overheating” Philippines economy
Another warning has been aired that the Philippine economy, one of the fastest-growing in Asia, is in risk of overheating – just shortly after...
Thailand, Indonesia surge in Ease of Doing Business ranking
Among ASEAN nations, Thailand and Indonesia were the ones that jumped the most in the new Ease of Doing Business 2018 ranking by the...
Despite slowdown, Philippines to lead GDP growth in SE Asia this year
Citigroup in a new country study said it expects the Philippines to enjoy the fastest economic growth in Southeast Asia and the third-fastest growth...
$500 bíllion urgently needed to fix Indonesia’s infrastructure problem
The World Bank, after assessing the state of Indonesia's overall infrastructure, came to the conclusion that the country needs around $500 billion in the...
Laos expects 7% GDP growth next year
The government in Laos expects economic growth of at least seven per cent in 2018, the same level expected for 2017, according to Vientiane...
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Two and a half months after the coup, Myanmar’s economy lies in shatters
Closed shops in Yangon
Bad news for foreign investors who have set a lot of hopes on Myanmar’s...
Stories of the week
Singapore scientists develop smartphone-controlled “robo plants”
Scientists in Singapore are working on a technology through which plants can be controlled by smartphone apps,...