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☆ Analysis-Myanmar Junta's Conscription Plan Lays Bare Toll of Fighting Rebels
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

A junta spokesman did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment. The current size of the anti-junta resistance is now likely higher with the emergence of more resistance groups as the conflict drags on, analysts said. The Tatmadaw, as the military is known, has not publicly declared the size of its fighting force in recent years. A dozen people eligible to serve also told Reuters that they would rather leave the country than join the military. "They couldn't send backup troops in Rakhine battles," AA spokesman Khine Thu Kha told Reuters via phone.

Persons: Richard Horsey, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Ye Myo Hein, Generals, Anthony Davis, Miemie Winn Byrd, Htet Myat, Min Aung Hlaing, Andrew Selth, Selth, Khine Thu Kha, Devjyot, Miral Fahmy Organizations: Reuters, United States Institute of Peace, British, U.S ., Griffith Asia Institute, Arakan Army, Reuters Staff Locations: China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Suu, U.S, Rakhine

☆ Strong Quake in Philippines Triggers Tsunami Warnings and Evacuations
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

Evacuations were continuing in the Philippines, where there were no initial reports of significant wave damage or casualties despite continuing aftershocks. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Phivolcs, maintained that the risk of a tsunami remained. However, the two provinces are largely rural and not densely populated, unlike other parts of the Philippines. The EMSC said the quake of magnitude 7.5 had struck at a depth of 63 km (39 miles), while the U.S. Geographic Survey put the quake at magnitude 7.6 and a depth of 32 km (20 miles), and said it had struck at 10:37 p.m. (1437 GMT).

Persons: Mikhail Flores MANILA, Phivolcs, Raymark Gentallan, James Soria, Cosme Calejesan, EMSC, Mrinmay Dey, Mikhail Flores, Karen Lema, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Kevin Liffey, Alison Williams, David Holmes, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S ., Philippine Institute of, Japan Meteorological Agency, Seismological, Reuters, Earthquakes, U.S . Geographic Survey Locations: Philippines, Mindanao, Japan, U.S, Tokyo, Surigao Del Sur, Davao Oriental, Hinatuan, Surigao City, Bengaluru, Manila

☆ With drones and dawn assault, Myanmar's Chin rebels open new front
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The ethnic Chin fighters said they used drones to drop bombs on the military bases, and junta soldiers fought back - especially fiercely at Khawmawi - occasionally firing mortars. At least nine Chin fighters were killed in the assault, along with six junta soldiers, two Chin rebels said, asking not to be named. Suan and Lawma's account of the battle, which was corroborated by a rebel commander and six residents who witnessed some of the fighting, provides a rare ground-level insight into a widening assault against Myanmar's military junta. After the two military camps were overrun, 43 junta soldiers crossed over to India seeking shelter and most were subsequently flown back to Myanmar. On the other side stood armed Chin rebels, under a billowing Chin flag.

Persons: Suan, Chin, Min Tun, Sui Khar, Zaw Min Tun, Krishn Kaushik, Devjyot, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Arakan Army, Brotherhood Alliance, Chin, Thomson Locations: Khawmawi, India, Myanmar, Zokhawthar, Champhai district, India's, Mizoram, Chin State, Rihkhawdar, India's Champhai, Shan State, Myanmar's, China, Rakhine State, Kayah State, Thailand

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's signature 500 billion baht ($13.87 billion) stimulus policy has faced criticism over fears it could stoke inflation and adversely impact the fiscal position of Southeast Asia's second-largest economy. Thailand's economy grew just 1.8% year-on-year in the second quarter, sharply slowing from the previous quarter, hit by weak exports that undercut a recovery in its crucial tourism sector. But some analysts are sceptical, as are some opposition lawmakers who have attacked the ruling Pheu Thai party for risking breaching Thailand's fiscal regulations. "We expect Thailand's fiscal outlook to remain uncertain for the rest of this year," said Tim Leelahaphan, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank in Thailand. "Also, the Pheu Thai-led government's ability to implement its pledged economic policies including the handout scheme has yet to be assessed, adding to fiscal uncertainty."

Persons: Lertsuridej, Srettha Thavisin, Devjyot, Srettha, Prommin, Tim Leelahaphan, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters, Government House, REUTERS, Rights, stoke, Standard Chartered Bank, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK

☆ Myanmar rebels seek to control border with India after early wins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dozens of rebels battled the Myanmar military from dawn to dusk on Monday to overrun two camps abutting India's Mizoram state, as part of a widening offensive against the junta-led administration, Chin National Front (CNF) Vice Chairman Sui Khar said. Following the battle, 43 Myanmar soldiers surrendered to Indian police and are currently sheltering in Mizoram, local police official Lalmalsawma Hnamte said. "Whether they will be pushed back or not, we are waiting for further instructions from the central government," he told Reuters. Chin rebels will now look to consolidate their control along the India-Myanmar border, where the Myanmar military has two more camps, Sui Khar said. A Rathedaung resident told Reuters on Tuesday the area came under artillery fire overnight and that military soldiers had entered the town.

Persons: Sui Khar, Kyaw Naing, Lalmalsawma Hnamte, Chin, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Krishn Kaushik, Kanupriya Kapoor, Devjyot, Michael Perry, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: REUTERS, Chin, Myanmar's, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, Reuters, Human Rights Organization, Myanmar, Arakan Army, Artillery, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, India, Farkawn, Mizoram, Myanmar's Shan, Kayah, Rakhine, Chin, Rakhine's, Myanmar's Chin, India's Mizoram, China, Shan State, Sittwe, Rathedaung, Minbya, Suu, MIZORAM, DELHI

☆ Myanmar junta attacked on new fronts, thousands flee to India
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Myanmar's military junta is facing its biggest test since taking power in a 2021 coup after three ethnic minority forces launched a coordinated offensive in late October, capturing some towns and military posts. "We have conquered some posts and fighting is continuing in some other places," he said. Fighting also broke out in Chin State, which borders India, when insurgents attacked two military camps, according to an Indian official and two sources with knowledge of the assault. About 5,000 people from Myanmar crossed into India's Mizoram state to seek shelter from the fighting, said James Lalrinchhana, the deputy commissioner of a district on the Myanmar border. A spokesperson for Myanmar's junta did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment on the latest fighting.

Persons: Khine Thu, Rathedaung, James Lalrinchhana, Richard Horsey, Martin Petty, Devjyot, Robert Birsel Organizations: Myanmar, Arakan Army, Reuters Staff, Chanchinmawia, Thomson Locations: Rakhine, Chin, India, Myanmar, France, Rakhine State, Chin State, India's Mizoram, Shan State, China, Sagaing, Kayah State, MIZORAM

Myanmar's junta leader General Min Aung Hlaing, who ousted the elected government in a coup on February 1, 2021, presides over an army parade on Armed Forces Day in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, March 27, 2021. "This is the weakest the Tatmadaw has been since the coup," the diplomat said, referring to Myanmar's military and asking not to be named. Maung Saungkha, leader of the Bamar People's Liberation Army, which contributed troops to the offensive, told Reuters the rebel alliance had spent more than a year preparing to take on the better-armed military. CHINA'S SHADOWSo far, rebel troops have faced unexpectedly weak opposition from the military, according to analysts and resistance leaders who spoke to local media. In a statement announcing the operation, the alliance said they intended to remove those enclaves, which they said were protected by the junta.

Persons: General Min Aung Hlaing, Stringer, Maung Saungkha, Nobel, Aung, Suu Kyi, Min Aung, Richard Horsey, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Armed Forces, REUTERS, Junta, United States Institute of Peace, United Nations, Liberation Army, Reuters, National Unity Government, Arakan Army, Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, National Liberation Army, Crisis, Thomson Locations: Naypyitaw, Myanmar, BANGKOK, China, Myanmar's, Shan, Beijing, Suu, Sagaing, Arakan

☆ Thailand approves new, scaled down EV subsidy package - industry official
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An electric car is seen while being charged during the opening of a PTT Pcl energy firm's commercial EV (Electric Vehicle) charging station, in Bangkok, Thailand, August 15, 2016. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBANGKOK, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Thailand on Wednesday approved a new subsidy package for electric vehicles, an industry official said, in a move to support EV sales in a top regional auto hub where battery-powered cars are steadily gaining traction. The new package approved by the National Electric Vehicle Policy Committee includes a lower subsidy than the current scheme ending this year, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, Kriengkrai Theinnukul, told reporters. EVs have enjoyed strong sales in Thailand this year, accounting for about half of all EV sales in Southeast Asia in the second quarter. Thailand currently offers a government subsidy of up to 150,000 baht ($4,100) per vehicle, but the amount could be brought down to 100,000 baht, a government official said last month.

Persons: Jorge Silva, Kriengkrai Theinnukul, EVs, Kitiphong Thaichareon, Orathai Sriring, Martin Petty Organizations: PTT, REUTERS, Rights, National Electric Vehicle, Federation of Thai Industries, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Southeast Asia, BYD

[1/2] Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin arrives at Beijing Capital International Airport to attend the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing, China, October 16, 2023. "And if you look at the month-by-month statistics, Chinese investments are still increasing," he told Reuters. "So I see that in the next two or three years, Chinese investments will still increase drastically in Thailand." But a large proportion of the 228 Chinese investments proposals this year have come in the electronics sector, according to the BOI. Chinese investments will likely continue for the next two years, Jareeporn said.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, Tingshu Wang, General Narit Therdsteerasukdi, Srettha, Xiaomi Corp's, Alain Lam, Narit, Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, Jareeporn, Chayut, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Thailand's, Beijing Capital International Airport, Forum, REUTERS, Rights, of Investment, Investment, Reuters, Thai, Initiative, HK, Toyota, Isuzu Motors, WHA, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights BANGKOK, Thailand, Singapore, Southeast Asia's, Thailand's, Thai

REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/ File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBANGKOK, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Thailand will close legal loopholes relating to firearm classification and online sales in its gun control efforts, its police chief said on Wednesday, a day after a teenager was arrested following a deadly shooting at a mall that left two people dead. Existing Thai laws on the possession of illegal firearms carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to 20,000 Thai baht($539.67). Laws have tightened after mass shootings in recent years in Thailand, including a requirement for a medical evaluation for those who want to buy a gun or renew their gun license. And in 2020, a soldier shot and killed at least 29 people in another northeastern Thai city. "The government should learn the lessons from past mass shooting incidents, review the proposed solutions and quickly implement them," Krisanaphong said.

Persons: Athit, Torsak Sukvimol, Torsak, Lazada, Krisanaphong, Panu, Poppy McPherson, Devjyot Ghoshal, Bernadette Baum, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Authorities, Thailand's Channel, Rangsit University, Reuters, Singapore's, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Siam, Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Southeast Asia, Thai

People flee following shots fired at the luxury Siam Paragon shopping mall, in Bangkok, Thailand, October 3, 2023. China is vital to that effort as the biggest source of foreign visitors to Thailand in pre-COVID years. 'SHOCKED'Chinese visitors accounted for 11 million of a record 39.9 million foreign tourists to Thailand in 2019, before the pandemic. Thailand recorded 20 million foreign tourist arrivals in the January to October period, who spent 839 billion baht ($22.58 billion). At the re-opened Siam Paragon mall, on a typically gridlocked thoroughfare, crowds were trickling back.

Persons: Devjyot, Srettha Thavisin, Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Somsong Sachaphimukh, Dong Peijian, Napat Wesshasartar, Thomas Suen, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Police, Siam Paragon, Tourism Authority of, Tourism Council, Thomson Locations: Siam, Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, China, Myanmar, Asia's, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai, Southeast Asia

Fleeing shoppers were ushered by security guards from the mall into torrential rain and towards a road with heavy traffic. We saw all the people run, run, run, we didn't understand what was happening," said 26-year-old Shir Yahav from Israel, who was at a designer store at the time of the shooting. [1/6]People flee following shots fired at the luxury Siam Paragon shopping mall, in Bangkok, Thailand, October 3, 2023. The mall said it had evacuated shoppers and staff immediately, stressing safety was of the utmost importance. "Siam Paragon would like to express our deep apologies for the unexpected event," it said in a statement, adding the mall would reopen on Wednesday.

Persons: Torsak Sukvimol, Torsak, Yahav, Devjyot, handcuffing, Panu, Pasit, Napat, Artorn, Athit, Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty, Gareth Jones Organizations: Siam, Police, Thai, Siam Paragon, National, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Myanmar, BANGKOK, Bangkok, China, Israel, Thailand, Siam, Nakhon Ratchasima, Instagram, Sun

☆ Thailand's new PM meets Tesla chief Musk in New York
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris, France, June 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBANGKOK, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Thursday he met with Tesla (TSLA.O) chief Elon Musk in New York, where they discussed the electric vehicle industry. Srettha, who is in New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly, said he spoke with Musk about EV manufacturer Tesla and his rocket and satellite company SpaceX, including its internet venture Starlink. Around half of all regional EV sales are from Thailand, followed by Vietnam and Indonesia, with Chinese carmakers like BYD leading by a wide margin. Tesla, also popular in Thailand, launched models in the growing market last year.

Persons: Elon Musk, Porte, Gonzalo Fuentes, Srettha Thavisin, Tesla, Asia's, Srettha, Chayut Setboonsarng, Jane Merriman, Richard Chang Organizations: SpaceX, Tesla, Viva Technology, Porte de, REUTERS, Rights, EV, United Nations General Assembly, Twitter, Toyota, Honda, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, Rights BANGKOK, New York, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Japanese, Vietnam, Indonesia, Asia

"Indonesia is not an easy market to do business on your own," said Kim, adding that, beyond government sales, VKTR was in talks with large domestic businesses to sell BYD EV buses. TAKING ON TESLAThai EV buyers contributed 24% of BYD's overseas sales in the second quarter, making it the Chinese automaker's largest foreign market, according to Counterpoint, whereas fewer than 1% of Tesla's sales are in Southeast Asia. BYD's Southeast Asia playbook and its embrace of dealerships contrasts with Tesla, whose direct-to-consumer approach is hard to replicate, since no other new EV brand has its buzz or the outsized media presence of its CEO Elon Musk. BYD and its partner Sime Darby Motors are experimenting with a new approach to draw young, tech-savvy consumers towards the Chinese brand in Singapore. The partnership has launched five "BYD by 1826" showrooms that double as white-tablecloth restaurants where dishes are named after BYD EV models.

Persons: Edgar Su, EVs, Tesla's, Soumen, BYD, Sime Darby, Indonesia's, Chee, Kiang Lim, Ayala, Antonio Zara, Rever, Alex Kim, Kim, VKTR, Tesla, Elon Musk, Darby, Jeffrey Gan, Devjyot Ghoshal, Stefanno Sulaiman, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Counterpoint Research, Reuters, Commission, Ayala Corp, Thailand's, Urban Science, Brothers, Ayala Corp's, Motors, Thai EV, Asia playbook, Darby Motors, Sime, Sime Darby Motors, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Rights BANGKOK, JAKARTA, Southeast Asia, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Shenzhen, Bangkok, Indonesia, Jakarta, Asia, Hong Kong, Macau

☆ Chinese EV major BYD's partnerships in Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Nick Carey/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 19 (Reuters) - Chinese electric vehicle frontrunner BYD (002594.SZ) has taken an early lead in Southeast Asia's small but fast-growing EV market, partly on the back of distribution partnerships with large, local conglomerates. Here are details about some of its regional partners: MALAYSIA & SINGAPOREBYD cars are sold by Sime Darby Motors, the automotive arm of Malaysian trading and logistics giant Sime Darby (SIME.KL), in two of the region's wealthiest countries. The partnership started in 2019 when Sime Darby Motors began distributing BYD EVs in Singapore, where it now has a dealership network of seven outlets. Sime Darby Motors took on the distributorship for Malaysia in 2022 and currently has nine dealerships nationwide, with another 12 in the pipeline, the company said. INDONESIAIndonesia's Bakrie & Brothers (BNBR.JK), which is focused on the manufacturing and infrastructure sector, is a distributor for BYD's EV buses in Southeast Asia's largest economy.

Persons: Nick Carey, Sime Darby, Darby, Sime Darby Motors, BYD, INDONESIA Indonesia's, Devjyot, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE, Sime, Sime Darby Motors, THAILAND Rever, EV giant's, Siam Motors Group, PHILIPPINES AC Motors, Ayala Corp, BYD's, Thomson Locations: Farnborough, Britain, Southeast, Singapore, Malaysia, THAILAND, BYD, Thailand, PHILIPPINES, Philippines, INDONESIA, Asia's, Jakarta, VKTR, Bangkok

Farmers across the agrarian heartland that makes Thailand the world's second-largest rice exporter should be poised to benefit. These pressures on the sector, reported in detail for the first time by Reuters, are squeezing debt-laden Thai farmers despite tens of billions of dollars in subsidies over the past decade. Successive governments have spent 1.2 trillion Thai baht ($33.85 billion) on price and income interventions for rice farmers in the last decade, estimates Somporn. The average Thai farmer's income has dwindled. Unstable income for Thai rice farmersIn the years since Sripai followed her family into the paddy fields, the challenges have multiplied, but current prices offer a rare opportunity.

Persons: Somporn, Sripai, Danai Saengthabthim, Srettha Thavisin, King Chulalongkorn, Nipon Poapongsakorn, Thailand's, KNIT's, Yingluck Shinawatra, Yingluck, Devjyot Ghoshal, Pasit, Katerina Ang, Kay Johnson Organizations: Farmers, Reuters, Research, Knowledge Network Institute of Thailand, Bank for Agriculture, Agricultural Cooperatives, Agriculture, El, National Water Resources, Thailand Development Research, Nipon, Thomson Locations: Thailand, Kaeo, Chai, India, East, Asia, Africa, Rice, Chai Nat, Bangkok, Bangladesh, Nepal, Vietnam

Pheu Thai's Srettha Thavisin attends a press conference, after Thailand's parliament voted in favour of his prime ministerial candidacy, in Bangkok, Thailand August 22, 2023. "The picture is not all wine and roses," Thailand's central bank chief Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput said in recorded remarks played on Wednesday. Tourism, a major driver of the Thai economy, has managed a robust recovery, although arrivals and tourist spending are still below pre-pandemic levels, data shows. $96 BLN BUDGETIn this first address since winning office, Srettha on Wednesday vowed to provide solutions to fix Thailand's economy, among other measures, and manage the budget transparently. But its ability to execute will depend on the military backers that Pheu Thai has allied with to be able to form a government.

Persons: Pheu, Srettha Thavisin, Chalinee, Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, Kobsidthi Silpachai, Srettha, Goldman Sachs, Poon Panichpibool, Sanan Angubolkul, Orathai Sriring, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Tourism, Krung Thai Bank, Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Asia's, China, Thai

BANGKOK, Aug 22 (Reuters) - When Thailand's deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra went into self-imposed exile in 2008 facing a raft of corruption charges following his ouster in a military coup, he issued a hand-written note. Thaksin has been Thailand's most prominent politician for decades, retaining outsized influence despite the years away. "It closes a crucial chapter in Thailand's politics," Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, said of Thaksin's return. A shrewd operator who rarely minces his words, an increasingly wealthy Thaksin entered politics in the mid-1990s, initially serving as foreign minister and then deputy prime minister. But the brash Thaksin, who called himself Thailand's first "CEO prime minister", faced royalist accusations that he was undermining the revered monarchy, which he denied.

Persons: Thailand's, Thaksin Shinawatra, Thaksin, Thaksin's, Yingluck Shinawatra, Critics, watchdogs, Chalinee, Chiang Mai, Love Thais, Devjyot Ghoshal, Chayut Setboonsarng, Panu, Robert Birsel Organizations: Thaksin, Chulalongkorn University, Thai, REUTERS, Rights, Shin Corporation, Thai Rak Thai, Singapore's Temasek, Premier League, Manchester City, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, Bangkok, Thailand, Chiang, United States, Thai, Britain

"We are asking the court to close Facebook, not allowing it to provide services in Thailand if they let these fake pages scam people," Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn told Reuters. Ministry spokesperson Wetang Phuangsup told Reuters officials were currently gathering evidence of wrongdoing by Facebook that would be presented before court. "If there is a lot of wrongdoing, the court could close down pages and accounts. Or the court could close the entire platform," he said. The ministry said scams perpetrated on Facebook included luring users to invest in fake companies, faking government bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and trading in digital currencies.

Persons: Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Meta, Wetang Phuangsup, Chaiwut, Panu, Martin Petty, Devjyot, David Goodman, Mark Potter Organizations: Facebook, Reuters, Ministry of Digital Economy, Society, Securities and Exchange Commission, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, Southeast Asia's, Thailand

☆ Thai election winner out of alliance aiming to form government
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Panarat Thepgumpanat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Athit PerawongmethaBANGKOK, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Thailand's election-winning Move Forward Party has been excluded from a coalition of parties hoping to form the next government after a May general election, parties in the alliance said on Wednesday. Southeast Asia's second largest economy has been in political limbo since the poll, in which the progressive Move Forward emerged as the largest party, closely followed by the populist Pheu Thai party. "Pheu Thai, in consultation with Move Forward, will withdraw from cooperation and will move ahead with government formation and nominating Srettha Thavisin for prime minister," the Pheu Thai party said. "Pheu Thai has supported Move Forward to our fullest ability," Chonlanan said. The combined two houses of parliament are due to vote for a new prime minister on Friday.

Persons: Pita Limjaroenrat, Thaksin Shinawatra, Srettha Thavisin, Pheu, Phumtham Wechayachai, Chonlanan Srikaew, Chonlanan, Chayut Setboonsarn, Devjyot Ghoshal, Jacqueline Wong, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Party, Conservative, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, BANGKOK, Asia's, Pheu Thai

☆ Cambodia PM Hun Sen to hand over power to son next month
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Phnom Penh, July 26 (Reuters) - Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Wednesday he will step down and hand over power to his son next month, ending a near four-decade reign that has in recent years overseen an erosion of democracy in the Southeast Asian country. "Hun Manet...will become the prime minister in the coming weeks," Hun Sen said in a nationally televised address, adding his son would be appointed to the post by the king on Aug. 10 and parliament would confirm the new premier with a vote on Aug. 22. Hun Sen, who has ruled the Southeast Asian country for 38 years, was speaking just days after his ruling Cambodian People's Party swept a general election after running virtually unopposed. Hun Sen said he would stay on as head of the ruling party and member of the National Assembly. Reporting by Reuters staff, Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor and Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hun Sen, Hun Manet, Critics, Devjyot, Kanupriya Kapoor, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Cambodia's, Cambodian People's Party, National Assembly, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Phnom Penh, Sunday's

BANGKOK, July 20 (Reuters) - Chinese automakers dominated Southeast Asia's fast-growing electric vehicle market, selling three out of every four EVs in the first quarter, research firm Counterpoint Research said on Thursday. Thailand - the main regional auto manufacturing hub - is driving the transition, with the country accounting for almost 79% of all EVs sold in Southeast Asia in the first quarter, Counterpoint said. "Chinese auto groups are experiencing rapid growth and outpacing their competitors in the SEA (Southeast Asia) region, with their market share increasing from 38% a year ago to nearly 75%," Counterpoint analyst Abhilash Gupta said. With Chinese EV offerings expanding, Counterpoint said the share of EVs as a percent of total vehicle sales in Southeast Asia could reach 6% by the end of 2023. Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia are the largest auto markets in Southeast Asia.

Persons: Abhilash Gupta, Devjyot Ghoshal, Emma Rumney Organizations: Research, Great Wall, Chinese EV, SEA, Hozon New Energy Automobile, Thomson Locations: BANGKOK, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Chinese, Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar

☆ Vote for Thai PM postponed, uncertainty prolonged
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Panarat Thepgumpanat | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We have to wait for the constitutional court to make its decision on August 16 before determining when we will have the vote again," Wan Noor told reporters. The Thai baht has weakened this week on the political uncertainty. After the election Move Forward, along with Pheu Thai and six other parties, forged an alliance to try to form a government. But Move Forward's leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, was twice blocked by parliament from becoming prime minister. On Wednesday, Pheu Thai said it would seek to form a new alliance without Move Forward and would nominate real estate tycoon Srettha Thavisin for the premiership.

Persons: Wan Muhamad, Matha, Wan Noor, Thaksin Shinawatra, Pita Limjaroenrat, Pheu, Srettha Thavisin, Chayut, Devjyot Ghoshal, Edmund Klamann, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, BANGKOK

REUTERS/Jorge SilvaBANGKOK/NEW DELHI, July 17 (Reuters) - Indian tourists are streaming into Southeast Asia, cementing the world most populous country's position as a key growth market for a travel and tourism sector that is feeling the pinch of China's slower-than-expected re-opening. "Southeast Asia is obviously very well positioned for a lot of the growth that is inevitably going to come from India," aviation analyst Brendan Sobie told an industry conference last month. Tanes Petsuwan, deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand said 1.6 million Indians were expected to visit the kingdom this year. Indians are helping to sustain a post-pandemic rebound for hospitality chains, including Minor Hotels, which has 45 properties in Southeast Asia with more than 6,000 rooms. Thailand's central bank expects 29 million visitors this year and 35.5 million in 2024.

Persons: Jorge Silva, Brendan Sobie, Tanes Petsuwan, Chai Eamsiri, Chai, Vinay Malhotra, IndiGo's, Sobie, Dillip, Pratyush Tripathy, That's, Somsong Sachaphimukh, Somsong, Pasit, Stefanno Sulaiman, Neil Jerome Morales, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Jorge Silva BANGKOK, Thai Airways, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Reuters, Asian Development Bank, Tourism Authority, IndiGo, Airbus, Minor, Bank of, Tourism Council of, Thomson Locations: India, Thailand, Patong, Phuket, DELHI, Asia, China, Thai, Singapore, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Jakarta, Bangkok, Kolkata, Pattaya, Europe, United States, Thailand's, Bank of Thailand, Tourism Council of Thailand, BANGKOK, JAKARTA, MANILA

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