https://www.scmp.com/rss/325442/feed The latest news, in-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion about Thailand. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Zhu Wenqian Zhu Wenqian Chinese toymaker Pop Mart said it plans to develop more of its Pop Land theme parks on the mainland and overseas, and is in talks with several cities to expand beyond its sole existing venue in Beijing. Jeffrey Hu, head of Pop Land and vice-president of Pop Mart, said on Friday that the company had established solid park operations capabilities, and planned to replicate this model whenever suitable opportunities emerged. “We also plan to develop an integrated resort blending theme park... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3351344/chinas-pop-mart-eyes-expansion-home-and-abroad-its-pop-land-theme-park?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3351344/chinas-pop-mart-eyes-expansion-home-and-abroad-its-pop-land-theme-park?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:30:14 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The US government has imposed sanctions on a Cambodian senator alleging he is at the heart of a sprawling scam network, as the Southeast Asian nation comes under intense pressure – including from China – to eliminate a cybercrime industry worth nearly US$20 billion a year. The US Treasury tagged Senator Kok An, a tycoon with close ties to former leader Hun Sen whose son is now prime minister, and 28 other associates as “specially designated nationals” suspected of controlling “scam compounds... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351314/us-slaps-sanctions-cambodian-senator-suspected-controlling-scam-centres?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351314/us-slaps-sanctions-cambodian-senator-suspected-controlling-scam-centres?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:19:28 +0000 Alyssa Chen Alyssa Chen The United States is offering a reward of up to US$4 million for information leading to the arrest of a Chinese national who fled the US after being convicted of money laundering. The bounty on fugitive Daren Li, 43, was announced by the State Department on Thursday through its Transnational Organised Crime Rewards Programme. Separately on Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it had charged two Chinese nationals accused of managing an industrial-scale fraud compound in Myanmar. Li was... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351257/america-offers-us4-million-bounty-arrest-chinese-money-launderer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351257/america-offers-us4-million-bounty-arrest-chinese-money-launderer?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:59:39 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The jailing of two Vietnamese men who brokered a sale of 900kg (2,000lbs) of pangolin scales from Africa destined for the Chinese market has returned the spotlight to the illicit trade in an animal that has been poached to the edge of extinction. Prized for its meat and scales, the pangolin has almost disappeared from forests and their hilly habitats of Africa and Asia. Conservationists estimate around 1 million have been trafficked over the last decade, triggered by demand for traditional... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3351159/conservationists-hail-jailing-vietnamese-pangolin-scale-smugglers-900kg-haul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3351159/conservationists-hail-jailing-vietnamese-pangolin-scale-smugglers-900kg-haul?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 09:45:00 +0000 Laura Zhou Laura Zhou Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for China and Cambodia to “stand in closer solidarity, now more than ever” in the first 2+2 strategic dialogue aimed at deepening mutual political and security ties. During a meeting in Phnom Penh, Wang also urged the two sides to further strengthen political and security cooperation to “firmly hold the reins of development and security in their own hands”. The meeting on Wednesday was the first under the 2+2 mechanism with Cambodia involving defence and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351116/china-calls-cambodia-shared-security-and-risks-during-global-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351116/china-calls-cambodia-shared-security-and-risks-during-global-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings The number of Chinese tourists deciding to travel during the five-day Labour Day holiday at the start of next month could rival or exceed last year’s headcount despite higher global fuel prices, analysts said, adding travellers were likely to prefer shorter trips to save on transport costs. Domestic flight bookings were up about 8 per cent year on year and domestic package-tour reservations were about 10 per cent higher ahead of the break, even after fuel prices shot up because of the war in... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351100/more-bookings-shorter-trips-chinese-adjust-higher-fuel-prices-labour-day-break?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3351100/more-bookings-shorter-trips-chinese-adjust-higher-fuel-prices-labour-day-break?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 05:32:44 +0000 The Star The Star For more than three years, the numbers on their screens told a convincing story. Steady gains, smooth withdrawals and returns of up to 5 per cent every fortnight. Encouraged by the early outcome, many doubled down, pumping in more of their hard-earned savings into a scheme they thought was the answer to luxury and a comfy retirement. Then, almost overnight, the kill switch was flicked and they lost it all to a scheme that swindled ­victims across the globe of close to 100 billion ringgit (US$25... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351077/hundreds-left-broke-after-alleged-malaysian-scammer-vanishes-us25-billion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351077/hundreds-left-broke-after-alleged-malaysian-scammer-vanishes-us25-billion?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 03:34:07 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg At a beachfront resort on Koh Samui, photo-obsessed travellers can book private sessions, with a dedicated photographer guiding them to the resort’s most camera-ready spots during a 20-minute shoot. Elsewhere, at Centara Life properties, late-night noodle bowls cater to regional tastes. Across Centara Hotels & Resorts, such offerings are becoming more tailored. They reflect a shift towards Asian travellers – and their preferences – at a time when European visitors are staying away, reshaping... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351065/thai-hotels-woo-asian-guests-curated-stays-iran-war-keeps-europeans-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3351065/thai-hotels-woo-asian-guests-curated-stays-iran-war-keeps-europeans-away?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 01:08:58 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Plastic bags stuffed with rotting chicken from a smugglers’ boat washed ashore in Thailand have hinted at shortages inside Cambodia, as formal trade between the neighbours has collapsed amid their border conflict and illicit cargo flows surge instead. While demand appears high for smuggled Thai oil, fruit, meat and consumer items like soap, the Cambodian public is maintaining a boycott of Thai businesses in a nationalist backlash that reveals the depth of the enmity now staining relations... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351045/smuggled-chicken-find-hints-cambodian-shortages-amid-thai-border-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3351045/smuggled-chicken-find-hints-cambodian-shortages-amid-thai-border-conflict?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 00:00:08 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Asia is entering a dangerous summer for food production as scientists warn of a “super El Nino” suppressing rainfall while the war on Iran drives up energy and fertiliser costs for farmers. India’s Meteorological Department has forecast a below-average monsoon, after two successive years of above-normal rains, while in Australia – a major wheat producer and exporter – a shortage of farm inputs and persistent dryness has reportedly pushed planting acreage to a seven-year low. Farmers across South... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350988/asia-braces-food-shortages-super-el-nino-iran-war-effects-collide?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350988/asia-braces-food-shortages-super-el-nino-iran-war-effects-collide?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:00:38 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung In the hours leading up to this year’s International Women’s Day, on March 8, The New York Times published explosive revelations of workplace abuse at legendary Copenhagen restaurant Noma under the watch of chef-founder René Redzepi. There is a certain poetic justice to be had that, at the same time, a group of 11 female hospitality professionals from around the world concluded a weeklong residency at Rosewood Hong Kong centred specifically on writing a new, women-led chapter in the toxic,... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3350865/rosewood-throws-its-weight-behind-female-empowerment-hospitality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/passions/article/3350865/rosewood-throws-its-weight-behind-female-empowerment-hospitality?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Enid Tsui Enid Tsui There was never any doubt that Nawapooh Sae-tang, the grandson of the late Bangkok-born artist Tang Chang, would inherit the family business of protecting and promoting his legacy. “My father had told me from a young age that as his eldest son, I would have to be involved in the running of the estate,” he says ahead of the May 1 opening of the Tang Chang Private Museum in Nakhon Pathom, an hour outside the Thai capital. It might not have been his choice, but Nawapooh has blossomed into a... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3350850/new-tang-chang-art-museum-thailand-preserves-thai-chinese-art-rebels-remarkable-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts/article/3350850/new-tang-chang-art-museum-thailand-preserves-thai-chinese-art-rebels-remarkable-legacy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Matthew Cheng,Edith Lin Matthew Cheng,Edith Lin A former director of Hong Kong’s Economic and Trade Offices (ETOs) in Jakarta and Bangkok is standing in the United Kingdom local elections for the right-wing Reform UK party. Lee Sheung-yuen, who left government in 2023 after serving as the first director of the Bangkok ETO and concurrently served as director general of its Jakarta office, is now contesting a seat on Ealing Council in London. He also previously served as the government’s assistant commissioner for tourism and as administrative... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3350924/former-hong-kong-trade-office-chief-contesting-uk-local-elections-reform?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3350924/former-hong-kong-trade-office-chief-contesting-uk-local-elections-reform?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 14:05:40 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Singapore balances national interest with rising anti-US sentiment In a rare public protest in Singapore, hundreds gathered in Hong Lim Park over the weekend to denounce the “US war machine”. They brandished placards and banners, including one with horns drawn on US... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3350808/singapores-us-interest-balancing-act-viral-songkran-clash-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3350808/singapores-us-interest-balancing-act-viral-songkran-clash-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:15:10 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Governments across Southeast Asia have been banking on work-from-home arrangements for civil servants to ease the sting of soaring energy costs triggered by the Iran war, but analysts say the maths is messier than it may first appear. Indonesia estimates its Friday work-from-home policy, introduced on April 1, will save around 6.2 trillion rupiah (US$361.5 million) in state fuel subsidies and nearly 10 times that amount in total consumption. The Philippines has similarly introduced a four-day... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350816/work-home-may-not-save-much-energy-southeast-asia-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350816/work-home-may-not-save-much-energy-southeast-asia-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:35:10 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones Forest fires raging through Laos, Myanmar and Thailand have smothered large areas in dangerous smoke, leaving overstretched firefighters battling blazes and smog-choked communities looking to the skies for rain and their governments to fix a scourge that worsens each year. Dry season fires have brought a public health crisis to northern Thailand, including Chiang Mai, as well as much of Laos and eastern Myanmar, as parched bush provides tinderbox conditions for wildfires. Some fires are also due... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350730/worst-ive-seen-forest-fires-rage-across-thailand-mekong-region?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350730/worst-ive-seen-forest-fires-rage-across-thailand-mekong-region?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 09:36:19 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Across Asia, a revolution in how people move was already gathering speed. War in Iran just hit the accelerator. Prashant Tiwari was among the first people at his company to go electric when he swapped his petrol car for a Hyundai Kona five years ago. Now, his colleagues at Fusemachines Nepal – an AI firm in Kathmandu – are calling him a prophet. “They say you don’t have any problem,” the 36-year-old product manager said. “I think it is foolish to buy a petrol-run car now, and everyone generally... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350481/asias-ev-revolution-shifts-overdrive-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350481/asias-ev-revolution-shifts-overdrive-iran-war-oil-shock?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof On Monday afternoon, amid the heat and chaos of Thailand’s Songkran festival, Gavin Chow was crowned Mr Bear International 2026 – the first Malaysian to win the title at a pageant that has quickly become part of Thailand’s growing queer festival circuit. Back in Chow’s home country, the climate is very different. Malaysia criminalises same-sex intimacy under federal law, LGBTQ gatherings have faced police raids and the 34-year-old activist’s own national qualifier earlier this year struggled to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350517/bangkok-malaysias-first-mr-bear-winner-finds-spotlight-queer-life-rarely-gets-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350517/bangkok-malaysias-first-mr-bear-winner-finds-spotlight-queer-life-rarely-gets-home?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 07:00:10 +0000 dpa dpa While many Europeans are considering putting long-haul flying on the back burner as jet fuel costs and airfares climb, those with a trip already booked for Malaysia may need to watch out if ambling around with a camera slung across a shoulder. Following an early April warning about unlicensed street photography, city authorities in Kuala Lumpur, the country’s capital, have confiscated equipment from six people, five of them non-Malaysians, pending payment of fines levied under street hawking... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350550/malaysia-unlicensed-street-photography-becomes-focus-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3350550/malaysia-unlicensed-street-photography-becomes-focus-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 01:39:31 +0000 Aidan Jones,Biman Mukherji Aidan Jones,Biman Mukherji The age of cheap oil is over and Thailand’s rooftops are reflecting that fact. Across homes, garages and warehouses in the sun-drenched kingdom, the blue-black sheen of solar panels is spreading, as the Iran war has done what years of climate summits could not: turn solar power into a necessity. Demand for solar panels has swamped companies like Wayso, whose managing director is colouring in Thailand’s rooftops as fast as he can find technicians to do it. “We can’t hire quickly enough,” Suwat... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350479/shock-therapy-war-forces-oil-addicted-asia-finally-go-green?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3350479/shock-therapy-war-forces-oil-addicted-asia-finally-go-green?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:11 +0000 Xiaofei Xu,He Huifeng Xiaofei Xu,He Huifeng With domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. When Lawrence Wong decided to set up a toy factory in Vietnam last year, he had a clear plan: 600 square metres (6,458 sq ft) of floor space at the start of 2026, with... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350477/chinese-manufacturers-recalibrate-overseas-expansion-plans-wake-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3350477/chinese-manufacturers-recalibrate-overseas-expansion-plans-wake-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 22:00:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Asian airlines are cutting flights, raising fares and reshuffling networks as the Iran war sends jet fuel prices soaring, leaving carriers across the region scrambling to protect their margins and preserve key routes. The shock has hit Asia especially hard because many economies depend heavily on fuel flows from the Middle East, according to aviation analysts, and some regional carriers are less protected from sudden price spikes than their counterparts in Europe or the US. “The impact has been... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350497/asian-airlines-face-major-headwind-jet-fuel-costs-forcing-flight-changes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350497/asian-airlines-face-major-headwind-jet-fuel-costs-forcing-flight-changes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:49:33 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Asian refiners have grown increasingly reliant on US crude as oil-starved fuel makers scour the globe to replace Middle Eastern supply and stave off shortages that could ripple through the broader economy. Buyers in Japan led the charge to purchase May-loading cargoes from the US early in the month, with South Korean, Singaporean and Thai processors also among customers, said traders familiar with the matter. At least 60 million barrels of grades from the US Gulf were bought for loading next... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350394/us-oil-floats-top-asia-looks-middle-eastern-alternatives-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350394/us-oil-floats-top-asia-looks-middle-eastern-alternatives-amid-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2026 03:17:03 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Thai police arrested seven French tourists after a viral Songkran confrontation in Phuket in which revellers surrounded a van, sprayed its driver with water and later ignored police orders to disperse. The incident came during Thailand’s annual new year festival, whose street water fights draw huge crowds across the country but have also sparked complaints this year about more aggressive behaviour in some tourist hotspots. Video shared on social media showed a crowd in Patong, a beach town on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350285/7-french-tourists-arrested-after-viral-songkran-spray-clash-van-driver-phuket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3350285/7-french-tourists-arrested-after-viral-songkran-spray-clash-van-driver-phuket?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 07:20:55 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Greater Bay Airlines has suspended most of its flights between Hong Kong and Bangkok for more than four months amid surging fuel prices driven by the conflict in the Middle East. The airline’s website showed that as of 8pm on Thursday no flights were available between Hong Kong and Bangkok for most of the dates between May 12 and September 22. The carrier said it had adjusted its services due to rising fuel prices and apologised to affected travellers. “Due to the continued rise in fuel prices... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3350268/greater-bay-airlines-suspends-bangkok-flights-over-4-months-amid-fuel-price-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3350268/greater-bay-airlines-suspends-bangkok-flights-over-4-months-amid-fuel-price-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 06:08:11 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof Malaysia has deployed police to dozens of petrol stations along its borders as it moves to stop subsidised fuel from leaking out of the country, with the government linking the tougher enforcement to a global energy crunch triggered by the Iran war. The Southeast Asian nation shares borders with Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Brunei. Police said 36 petrol stations had been classified as “hotspots” and another 55 as high-risk locations. The deployments began at 6am on Wednesday across Perlis,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350253/malaysia-pumps-police-action-border-petrol-stations-curb-subsidised-fuel-leaks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350253/malaysia-pumps-police-action-border-petrol-stations-curb-subsidised-fuel-leaks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:48:01 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Balikatan, the flagship annual military exercise between Manila and Washington, begins in the Philippines this month without a single neighbouring Southeast Asian member taking part, despite the drills’ growing scale and multinational reach. Analysts say that hesitation helps explain Balikatan’s place in the region: for some Asean members, it is a reassuring sign of US commitment, but joining it risks looking like a strategic choice in the sharpening rivalry between Washington and Beijing. “To... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350190/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-hesitant-join-major-us-philippine-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350190/why-southeast-asian-nations-are-hesitant-join-major-us-philippine-balikatan-drills?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Reuters Reuters Japan has said it will establish a financial framework worth about US$10 billion to help Asian countries procure energy resources and bolster their stockpiles ‌as Middle East tensions drive prices higher and disrupt supply chains. The support, aimed at preventing knock-on effects on Japan’s own supply chains, would be channelled mainly through state-backed financial institutions such as Japan Bank for International Cooperation and Nippon Export and Investment Insurance. Announcing the plan on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350182/japan-plans-us10-billion-support-help-asia-secure-oil-we-are-mutually-dependent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3350182/japan-plans-us10-billion-support-help-asia-secure-oil-we-are-mutually-dependent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 10:15:28 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As the US imposes its own blockade on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following the collapse of talks with Iran at the weekend, we take a look at how major economies in Asia and Europe could be affected by further restrictions on passage through one of the world’s most critical choke points for energy supplies. Who is most vulnerable in this energy crisis? According to a recent report by Japanese investment bank Nomura, the regions most exposed to the tensions in the Persian Gulf are Asian... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350051/which-countries-are-most-vulnerable-us-imposes-its-own-blockade-persian-gulf?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3350051/which-countries-are-most-vulnerable-us-imposes-its-own-blockade-persian-gulf?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones The world’s largest water fight erupted across Bangkok on Monday as the three-day annual Songkran festival drew a surge in tourists to a country whose bruised economy badly needed a reason to celebrate. Thailand has refused to let a fuel crisis triggered by the US-Israeli war on Iran dampen its traditional New Year’s celebrations, even as prices spike for everything from petrol to ice during the hottest month of the year. The water festival – also known as Thingyan in neighbouring Myanmar and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3349881/splash-and-crash-thailand-celebrates-songkran-energy-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3349881/splash-and-crash-thailand-celebrates-songkran-energy-crisis-deepens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:50:10 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Hong Kong and Singapore routinely top global rankings of unaffordable cities. Yet it is the residents of Manila, Colombo and Yangon who are far more likely to tell pollsters they cannot afford shelter. The Philippines recorded the world’s highest share of people reporting difficulty affording housing in a new survey from US-based firm Gallup, with 55 per cent saying they had struggled to pay for shelter in the past 12 months. Sri Lanka followed at 54 per cent, Myanmar at 49 per cent and Thailand... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349725/forget-hong-kong-and-singapore-philippines-housing-least-affordable-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349725/forget-hong-kong-and-singapore-philippines-housing-least-affordable-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:00:21 +0000 Joanne Lin Joanne Lin For years, Southeast Asian countries have preferred to avoid taking sides between China and the United States. This year’s State of Southeast Asia survey shows that this approach still holds, but a more contested geostrategic environment is making it harder to sustain. The region continues to feel uneasy about China’s entrenched influence, is increasingly troubled by US leadership under President Donald Trump and is more conscious of Asean’s institutional constraints. The weakening of confidence... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3349676/doubts-about-trump-strain-southeast-asias-us-china-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3349676/doubts-about-trump-strain-southeast-asias-us-china-balancing-act?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Soaring fuel prices are driving up costs for Thais travelling home for the holidays, but the chance to spend the new year with loved ones is a price worth paying, they say. “There aren’t many opportunities to go home during festivals like this,” said 24-year-old army cadet Korawich Changpat at Bangkok’s Mo Chit Two bus station, despite his inflated fare back to central Chaiyaphum province. “First of all, I’ll go see my mother. Looking this handsome in my uniform, I must go pay my respects to... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349751/thais-celebrate-new-year-despite-fuel-price-shocks-delaying-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349751/thais-celebrate-new-year-despite-fuel-price-shocks-delaying-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 10:46:44 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Harvest-ready rice fields are lying idle and farmers are deciding whether to skip planting for the coming season, as spiking fuel and fertiliser costs from the war in the Middle East hit one of the world’s biggest rice-growing regions. Across Southeast Asia, tens of millions of smallholders are struggling to find affordable crop nutrients as well as the diesel needed to run tractors, irrigation pumps and rice planters. In Thailand, some farmers are leaving the crop in the ground as it is too... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3349721/asias-panicked-farmers-brace-looming-rice-crisis-post-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3349721/asias-panicked-farmers-brace-looming-rice-crisis-post-iran-war?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 03:00:33 +0000 The Korea Times The Korea Times Buying illegal drugs has become as easy as ordering a pizza in South Korea – especially for teens and young adults who have grown up in the digital age – as drug trafficking has increasingly moved online. On platforms like Telegram and the dark web, users familiar with drug-related slang can easily locate dealers. Consumers simply place an order, pay with bitcoin, and, once the transaction is complete, receive a message with instructions on where to collect their purchase. Pickup locations are... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349615/south-korean-youth-hooked-easy-access-drugs-online?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3349615/south-korean-youth-hooked-easy-access-drugs-online?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:17:22 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Thai authorities have seized assets worth 8.3 billion baht (US$260 million) belonging to people behind an alleged money-laundering network linked to transnational cyber scam operations in Cambodia. The latest seizure by the Anti-Money Laundering Office included cash, cars, bank deposits and other securities, bringing the total value of assets confiscated in the widening probe to more than 20 billion baht, officials said at a briefing in Bangkok on Thursday. The network of offenders included... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349581/thailand-snatches-us260-million-cross-border-scammers-decisive-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349581/thailand-snatches-us260-million-cross-border-scammers-decisive-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 01:14:54 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Across much of the world, young people are turning away from military service. In Thailand, they are queuing up. Voluntary enlistment in the Southeast Asian nation has climbed steadily over the past five years – so much so that in some districts, annual conscription quotas, which happen in April, are being filled from ranks of willing men alone. It is somewhat paradoxical, considering the recent, lethal border clashes with Cambodia have made clear that military service is no longer a distant... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349449/thai-men-sign-military-driven-prospect-steady-pay-amid-sluggish-economy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349449/thai-men-sign-military-driven-prospect-steady-pay-amid-sluggish-economy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:15:22 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung Chances are, the Hainanese chicken rice served at your local restaurant is not the real deal. In the same way that champagne must come from Champagne, Hainanese chicken rice must technically be made with Wenchang chicken from Hainan, an island province of China in the South China Sea. These birds are small, free-range and famous for being fed a diet of fallen banyan seeds, coconut pulp and peanut bran. The breed was shaped by the region’s natural environment, which gives the meat natural... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349320/origins-hainanese-chicken-rice-and-its-versions-singapore-malaysia-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/food-drink/article/3349320/origins-hainanese-chicken-rice-and-its-versions-singapore-malaysia-and-more?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:15:07 +0000 Wency Chen Wency Chen Artificial intelligence has emerged as the driving force behind global trade growth, fuelled by a surge in data-centre buildouts at a time when geopolitical tensions are redrawing trade flows, according to McKinsey & Company. Global trade grew 6.5 per cent last year, outpacing the world economy, with AI-linked goods accounting for about one-third of that increase, McKinsey’s research showed. The category – including semiconductors, graphics cards, routers and servers – has been propelled by the... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349424/ai-fuels-global-trade-growth-china-us-flows-shift-mckinsey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3349424/ai-fuels-global-trade-growth-china-us-flows-shift-mckinsey-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:00:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thailand’s foreign minister confirmed on Wednesday the deaths of three Thai crew members of a cargo ship struck by Iran while transiting the Strait of Hormuz a month ago. US-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February prompted Tehran to respond by effectively closing the strait, a crucial artery for global oil supplies, and launching attacks on vessels. The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was struck on March 11 while travelling through the Gulf waterway, after departing a port in the United Arab... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349409/thailand-confirms-deaths-3-cargo-ship-crew-gulf-attack?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349409/thailand-confirms-deaths-3-cargo-ship-crew-gulf-attack?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:40:51 +0000 Josiah Ng Josiah Ng The party continues this second weekend of April as Lennon’s from Rosewood Bangkok arrives to take over Pony & Plume at Capella at Galaxy Macau on Thursday, and Bad Times Records hosts its last Steps party at La Cabane Wine Cellar on Saturday. Between these, Honky Tonks Tavern’s new spring cocktail menu is the perfect way to cool off as Hong Kong’s temperatures heat up. Thursday, April 9 Pony & Plume x Lennon’s Bangkok Kick off your weekend early in Macau as Pony & Plume gives us the latest... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3349392/your-hong-kong-weekend-drinks-guide-april-9-11?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3349392/your-hong-kong-weekend-drinks-guide-april-9-11?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 09:57:34 +0000 Reuters Reuters The head of a body representing global airlines said on Wednesday that even if Iran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, it would take months for jet fuel supply to recover given disruptions to Middle East refining capacity. Oil fell below US$100 per barrel after US President Donald Trump said he had agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran ‌that was subject to the immediate and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil trade. Iranian Foreign... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349353/no-quick-fix-asian-airlines-even-if-iran-reopens-hormuz-iata-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349353/no-quick-fix-asian-airlines-even-if-iran-reopens-hormuz-iata-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:26:07 +0000 David Frazier David Frazier Doi Chiang Dao is one of Thailand’s most stunning mountains, a 2,175-metre limestone peak that rises like a behemoth from flat farmland. Every February, it becomes the backdrop to a 10-day festival called Shambhala in Your Heart. Organised by a group of silver-haired, 1960s purist Japanese hippies, the event is set in an Edenic campsite in northern Thailand, where shade trees flank a cool running stream and open-air hot springs are just a 10-minute walk away. In recent years, Shambhala has... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3349356/chinese-youths-find-freedom-thailands-shambhala-festival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/culture/article/3349356/chinese-youths-find-freedom-thailands-shambhala-festival?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 07:15:40 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Seven murals celebrating the Thai and Chiu Chow heritage of Hong Kong’s Kowloon City will be erected in the district known for its ethnic Thai population and traditional stores under a public scheme to encourage building renovations in the area. The first on Jenford Building has been completed on South Wall Road in the heart of the city’s “Little Thailand”, featuring a purple cartoon elephant dressed in a blue Hawaiian shirt, grinning with its trunk lifted as if greeting passers-by. Against a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349305/sawadeekowloon-mural-celebrates-thai-culture-hong-kong-under-renovation-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3349305/sawadeekowloon-mural-celebrates-thai-culture-hong-kong-under-renovation-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 01:00:12 +0000 Bryanna Entwistle Bryanna Entwistle On April 1, amid China’s cybercrime offensive in Southeast Asia, Cambodia extradited to China Li Xiong, former chairman of Huione Group, which had been severed from the US financial system last year for laundering at least US$336 million from cyber scams between 2021 and 2025. The US had also sanctioned Huione’s parent company, Prince Group, and indicted founder Chen Zhi. In January, Cambodia extradited Chen to China, securing the arrest of a man accused of being Cambodia’s biggest scam... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349051/beat-cambodias-scam-gangs-us-must-work-china-not-blame-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3349051/beat-cambodias-scam-gangs-us-must-work-china-not-blame-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A pet ostrich went for a speedy jaunt down a busy Thai highway on Tuesday, before being returned safe and sound to its enclosure at an animal-themed cafe. The six-month-old male ostrich raced along a three-lane highway in Thailand’s coastal Chonburi province as cars and trucks sped by the flightless bird, according to a video posted by a man who was driving directly behind it. “Who lost an ostrich on the road? Come get him. He runs so fast,” the motorist, Chairat Sompong, is heard saying in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349303/ostrich-escapes-animal-cafe-sprints-down-thai-highway?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349303/ostrich-escapes-animal-cafe-sprints-down-thai-highway?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:43:20 +0000 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Most Southeast Asians would choose China as a strategic partner over the US if forced to pick, as analysts attribute the findings of an annual survey to recent geopolitical and trade uncertainties driven by Washington’s policies. But analysts warn against interpreting the respondents’ sentiment in the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute survey as a zero-sum game between the superpowers, saying that Asean is looking to diversify partners in a multipolar world. When asked which superpower the region... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349247/most-asean-prefer-china-over-us-partner-poll-trump-cited-biggest-concern?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3349247/most-asean-prefer-china-over-us-partner-poll-trump-cited-biggest-concern?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 08:05:32 +0000 Aidan Jones Aidan Jones From sea transfers by smugglers and hoarding to stockpiling underground, profiteering from the oil crunch in Thailand has exacerbated a supply crisis that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul warned on Monday was about to worsen, given the country’s reliance on fuel imports. As diesel pump prices hit an all-time high of around 50 baht (US$1.54) a litre on Monday, Justice Minister Major-General Rutthaphon Naowarat told reporters that “oil has definitely gone missing”, saying it was too early to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349177/oil-smugglers-hoarders-thailand-worsen-supply-crisis-anutin-warns-tough-times?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349177/oil-smugglers-hoarders-thailand-worsen-supply-crisis-anutin-warns-tough-times?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:19:54 +0000 Gavin Yeung Gavin Yeung Le Le To celebrate its 10th anniversary, ZS Hospitality Group introduces Le Le, a progressive Vietnamese concept rooted in the heritage of the group’s chairwoman, Elizabeth Chu Yuet-han. Named after Vietnam’s famed whistling duck, the restaurant explores the intersection of Indochinese vibrancy and Cantonese technique. Led by chefs Elvin Lam and Le Minh Duc, the kitchen elevates childhood staples such as pho and xoi man through a fine-dining lens. The moody, indigo-accented space functions as a... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3348823/hong-kongs-hottest-new-openings-le-les-launch-thong-smiths-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/food-drink/article/3348823/hong-kongs-hottest-new-openings-le-les-launch-thong-smiths-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 07:00:12 +0000 David Ho David Ho Step into the Landmark Atrium before April 17 and you’ll be greeted by a gigantic patchwork island, on top of which stands a series of cute figures. This spectacle is The Island – Onigashima, an interactive installation by Japanese multimedia artist Ayako Rokkaku. Wander under the island and you’ll find a plush passageway with windows, dangling objects and walls covered in a variety of textures. Here, unlike with most artworks, visitors are encouraged to touch and feel all that intrigues... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/article/3348821/multimedia-artist-ayako-rokkaku-finger-painting-and-creating-interactive-art?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/article/3348821/multimedia-artist-ayako-rokkaku-finger-painting-and-creating-interactive-art?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:00:10 +0000