Thailand, Laos strengthen border connections

According to the earlier US tariff announcement, Cambodia encounters the highest rates of 49%, followed by Laos (48%), Vietnam (46%), Myanmar (44%), Thailand (36%), and Indonesia (32%). Meanwhile, Malaysia, Brunei, the Philippines, and Singapore face lower rates ranging from 10% to 24%.

The evidence successfully confiscated was 30.5 kilogrammes of pangolin scales, which were believed to have been gathered from 200 pangolins that had been killed.

Indonesia, with over 17,000 islands, is among the countries most vulnerable to rising sea levels, storms, flooding and seismic activity. Jakarta, in particular, is experiencing severe land subsidence — with some areas sinking by as much as 25 centimetres per year — which, coupled with tidal surges, has led to increasingly frequent and severe flooding.

Malaysia has expressed its readiness to negotiate in four key areas: addressing the US’s reported 24.8 billion USD trade deficit with Malaysia, removing non-tariff barriers, strengthening protections for technology and national security, and exploring the possibility of a bilateral trade agreement.

The warning comes as Tropical Storm Wutip (referred to as Storm No. 1 in Vietnam) moves over the East Sea, expected to bring moderate to heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds across Laos.

Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz described the plan as a "blueprint for regional economic transformation" that will drive sustainable growth and deeper integration.

An official the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the resilience of the ASEAN Plus 3, EAS, and ARF frameworks through crises, including the 1997 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Thai government has vowed to more closely supervise those deemed to be “high impact” platforms with a large number of consumers, seeking to address subpar products in an effort to protect the customer interest.

These investments, spread across 1,556 projects in manufacturing, services, and primary sectors, are set to generate over 33,300 new employment opportunities for Malaysians, the MIDA said.

The most noticeable is a nickel-cobalt project of Guangdong Guangxin Holding Group Ltd in Indonesia with total investment of 2 billion USD.

According to ShipHub, a unified logistics platform service, Thailand's express parcel delivery market continues to experience steady growth, fuelled by the rapid expansion of e-commerce, which has become a cornerstone of the digital economy.

The housing sector is currently the most attractive area, with many investors from countries such as the US, Turkey, Spain, and Brunei having committed capital to this sector.

BoI Secretary General Narit Therdsteerasukdi said EV manufacturers operating in Thailand have so far employed around 9,600 workers.

These two agreements are expected to broaden and improve market access for Indonesian products in both Europe and the Eurasian region, while enhancing the nation’s competitiveness globally.

Thailand plans to invest 200 million THB (6 million USD) to develop a centralised data management system powered by artificial intelligence (AI) for its Anti-Online Scam Operation Centre (AOC), aiming to enhance the centre’s overall efficiency.

The new bill will simplify the trading of securities, such as equity instruments, investment units, and debt instruments, making it easier for retail investors to buy and trade assets, and providing better protection for investors.

To prevent the spread of dengue fever, Lao health authorities have called on citizens across the country to raise awareness of prevention measures. These include regularly cleaning living environments, eliminating stagnant water sources, disposing old tires, changing water in flower vases, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and using mosquito repellent sprays or coils.

Indonesia is striving to enhance transparency, ensure regulatory certainty, drive market diversification, and strengthen domestic market resilience. Indonesia would like to invite Japanese business actors to cooperate in navigating this challenging time, Esti said.

The plan reflects the city’s commitment to aligning safety strategies with the unique context of Pattaya as a major international tourist destination.

Singapore-based low-cost airline Jetstar Asia will cease operations from July 31 as part of a “strategic restructure” by its parent company, Australian flag carrier Qantas.