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☆ Indonesia's EV ambitions could help boost investments in the rest of Southeast Asia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Quek Jie Ann | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Korean automobile manufacturer Kia displays the electric vehicle "EV6 GT-Line" during the 30th Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Tangerang on August 10, 2023. Indonesia's EV-friendly policies have lured global investors to the country, but experts say they could also boost investments in Southeast Asia's automotive industry more broadly. Indonesia could be the "gateway" to the rest of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, said Anindya Novyan Bakrie, CEO and president director of Bakrie & Brothers, an Indonesian conglomerate whose electric vehicle unit VKTR manufactures electric buses as well as EV parts. The Southeast Asian country is rich in copper, nickel, cobalt and bauxite — materials essential for the manufacturing of electric vehicle batteries. Indonesia is the largest nickel exporter, accounting for 22% of the world's reserves, according to a report by the ASEAN Briefing.

Persons: Anindya Novyan Bakrie, Tesla Organizations: Kia, Indonesia's, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Bakrie, Brothers, ASEAN, BMI Fitch Solutions, CNBC Locations: Indonesia, Tangerang, Indonesian

[1/5] A Chinese tourist is welcomed by Thai traditional puppets during a welcome ceremony of the first batch of Chinese tourists under a five-month visa-free entry scheme at Bangkok's International Airport, Thailand, September 25, 2023. The visa waiver programme runs from Sept. 25 until February next year. The government expects 2.88 million Chinese visitors during that 5-month period, slightly higher than the 2.34 million Chinese who have visited this year. "More Chinese tourists come to Thailand for holiday, because it is indeed very convenient," he said. Chinese tourists say they are drawn to Thailand for its beaches and food.

Persons: Athit, Srettha Thavisin, Srettha, Gu, ”, Ye Weihe, Panarat Thepgumpanat, Miral Fahmy, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Bangkok's International, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Thai, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Bangkok, Shanghai, Srettha, Tourism, Suvarnabhumi, China, Pattaya

☆ Philippines Removes Chinese Barrier at Disputed Shoal in 'Special Operation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By Enrico Dela CruzMANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines said on Monday it executed a "special operation" to remove a floating barrier installed by China at a prime fishing patch in the South China Sea, a move that could stoke tension after a years-long detente in Asia's most disputed waters. Hours after the national security adviser had vowed to take action, the Philippine coastguard said it had removed the floating cordon, at the behest of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his special task force on the South China Sea. Japan's government urged calm and said the South China Sea was central to regional stability. "Our country strongly opposes any conduct that heightens tension in the South China Sea," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a regular press conference. China on Monday said the shoal, which it calls Huangyan Island, was "China's inherent territory", over which it had indisputable sovereignty.

Persons: Enrico Dela Cruz, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Hirokazu Matsuno, Huangyan, Wang Wenbin, Enrico dela Cruz, Liz Lee, Kiyoshi Takenaka, Kanupriya Kapoor, Martin Petty, Alex Richardson Organizations: stoke, coastguard, Philippine coastguard, Philippine, China, South China, Chinese coastguard Locations: Philippines, China, South China, Asia's, Scarborough, Philippine, Manila, Washington, Beijing, British, South, Hague, Tokyo

☆ Indonesia may issue regulation on use of social media as e-commerce platform this week - president
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Indonesian President Joko Widodo speaks during a news conference after the closing of the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, September 7, 2023. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsJAKARTA, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Indonesia may on Tuesday issue a regulation on the use of social media to sell goods in the country, President Joko Widodo said, a move intended to quell threats to offline markets in Southeast Asia's biggest economy. Ministers have repeatedly said that e-commerce sellers using predatory pricing on social media platforms are threatening offline markets in Indonesia, with some officials specifically citing the video platform TikTok as an example. "We just...decided on the use of social media for e-commerce. Tomorrow it will perhaps come out," the president, who is commonly known as Jokowi, said in a streamed video address on Monday.

Persons: Joko Widodo, Willy Kurniawan, Jokowi, Ananda Teresia, Stanley Widianto, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: 43rd ASEAN Summit, REUTERS, Rights, Ministers, Thomson Locations: Jakarta, Indonesia, Rights JAKARTA, Asia's

☆ Thailand expects Tesla, Google, Microsoft to invest $5 billion, prime minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin speaks during a press conference after a weekly cabinet meeting at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand, September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBANGKOK, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Sunday the country expected to receive investment of at least $5 billion from Tesla (TSLA.O), Google (GOOGL.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O). "Tesla would be looking into an EV manufacturing facility, Microsoft and Google are looking at data centres," he said, without detailing whether the $5 billion was expected to be a combined investment or made individually by each company. Tesla, Google and Microsoft did not respond immediately to requests for comment. Srettha spoke with Tesla CEO Elon Musk last week about the electric vehicle sector.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, Athit, Tesla, Srettha, Elon Musk, Asia's, Chayut Setboonsarng, Jamie Freed Organizations: Thailand's, REUTERS, Rights, Tesla, Google, Microsoft, General Assembly, EV, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, New York

☆ Crypto is growing up: Goodbye yacht parties and NFTs, hello regulation and practical tech
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Phil Rosen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The three-day Messari Mainnet conference in New York was less expensive and less fun than it was a year ago. That's the sense I got after spending three days rubbing shoulders with crypto founders, blockchain pros, politicians and executives at Messari Mainnet in New York City. Coinbase hosted reporters at a press breakfast during Messari Mainnet 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe long shadow of Gary GenslerGary Gensler, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, did not attend Messari Mainnet, but no one could stop saying his name. "Gary Gensler cannot state whether ethereum is a security or not," Ramaswamy told the audience.

Persons: Phil Rosen, Carlos Domingo, they're, Anthony Scaramucci, Jesse Pollak, Base, Coinbase, Crypto, Jess Houlgrave, WalletConnect, Houlgrave, Gary Gensler Gary Gensler, Scaramucci, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ramaswamy, Gensler, Gary Gensler, Coinbase's Pollak, Pollak, Messari Organizations: Service, Skybridge Capital, White House, Coinbase, Securities and Exchange Commission, Jiminy Cricket, SEC Locations: New York, Wall, Silicon, New York City, ethereum, Singapore, Hong Kong

☆ Take Five: An inflationary dilemma
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The week ahead brings more evidence of how much progress is left for developed-economy policymakers, while in the emerging world, India is set to enter the bond-market big time and a raft of central banks wrestle with a dilemma. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index rose 3.3% in the 12 months through July. Line chart with data from LSEG Datastream show the U.S.'s inflation on personal consumption expenditures (PCE), core PCE inflation and the federal funds target rate from 2019 to 2023. Reuters Graphics5\ASIA'S CURRENCY CONUNDRUMAsian central banks have a dilemma: how to handle weakening economic growth and peaking inflation, while arresting the slide in currencies to maintain stability in their financial systems. But much may rest on decisions of other central banks further afield, namely the Federal Reserve.

Persons: Lewis Krauskopf, Naomi Rovnick, Karin Strohecker, Amanda Cooper, Perry Warjiyo, Toby Chopra Organizations: Federal, Fed, European Central Bank, ECB, Reuters, CLUB India, JPMorgan, Russell, Bank of, Bank, Thailand, Reserve, Thomson Locations: India, Vidya Ranganathan, Singapore, New York, London, Washington, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Bank of Indonesia, Philippine

☆ Thailand's new prime minister courts US companies for investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin speaks during a press conference after a weekly cabinet meeting at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand, September 13, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBANGKOK, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin met with U.S. companies including Microsoft (MSFT.O), Google (GOOGL.O), and Estee Lauder (EL.N) in his first trip abroad since coming to power last month, looking to draw investment to boost a flagging economy. The prime minister also held talks with banks. "To service foreign investments, we will need financial institutions ... Goldman Sachs (GS.N) said they will consider setting up an office in Thailand," Srettha said. In the first six months of 2023, investment pledges to Thailand rose 70%, driven by Chinese auto investors.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, Athit, Estee Lauder, Srettha, I've, Tesla, Elon Musk, Goldman Sachs, Chayut Setboonsarng, Lincoln Organizations: Thailand's, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, Microsoft, Google, General Assembly, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, New York

☆ 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

☆ Thailand's New Prime Minister Courts US Companies for Investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin met with U.S. companies including Microsoft, Google, and Estee Lauder in his first trip abroad since coming to power last month, looking to draw investment to boost a flagging economy. That is a challenge for Srettha, who is aiming to grow Southeast Asia's second-largest economy by 5% each year. The prime minister also held talks with banks. "To service foreign investments, we will need financial institutions ... Goldman Sachs said they will consider setting up an office in Thailand," Srettha said. In the first six months of 2023, investment pledges to Thailand rose 70%, driven by Chinese auto investors.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, Estee Lauder, Srettha, I've, Elon Musk, Goldman Sachs, Chayut Setboonsarng, Lincoln Organizations: U.S, Microsoft, Google, General Assembly, Tesla Locations: BANGKOK, Thailand, New York

The Straits Times Illustrations/Cel Gulapa via REUTERS/File Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreSINGAPORE, Sept 21 (Reuters) - The total value of assets seized in Singapore's biggest money laundering case has swelled to S$2.4 billion ($1.76 billion), police said on Wednesday. Last month, 400 police officers ran simultaneous raids across Singapore and arrested 10 foreigners in an anti-money laundering swoop. Police have said the 10 suspects were allegedly "laundering the proceeds of their overseas organised crime activities, including scams and online gambling". During the raids, police seized S$1 billion worth of assets including bank accounts, S$23 million in cash, luxury homes, cars, bags, watches and two gold bars. The amount was updated to S$1.8 billion in early September as investigations led authorities to assets in Swiss banks.

Persons: Su Baolin, Su Haijin, Chen Qingyuan, Su Wenqiang, Lin Baoying, Zhang Ruijin, Wang Dehai, Su Jianfeng, Vang Shuiming, Wang Baosen, Xinghui Kok, Michael Perry Organizations: The Straits, REUTERS, Police, Thomson Locations: Singapore, SINGAPORE, Cyprus, Cambodia, Dominica, China, Turkey, Vanuatu

Asia's hydropower output fell 17.9% during the seven months through July, data from energy think tank Ember showed, while fossil fuel-fired power rose 4.5%. In India, hydropower generation fell 6.2% during the eight months ended August in the sharpest decline since 2016. In some cases, the hydropower output plunge was a result of efforts to conserve water and alter supply patterns. "This trend of rapidly increasing wind or solar power generation in China could push for hydropower playing this critical regulating function, instead of operating whenever there is water," he added. However, unlike hydro, wind power is harder to forecast and control, as it varies by local weather conditions.

Persons: Carlos Torres Diaz, Rystad, Lauri Myllyvirta, Myllyvirta, Ember, Victor Vanya, Sudarshan Varadhan, Jamie Freed Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Bureau, International Energy Agency, Centre for Research, Clean Energy, Air, Thomson Locations: Qiaojia, Yunnan province, Ningnan, Sichuan province, China, Rights SINGAPORE, Asia, India, Vietnam, India's, Philippines, Malaysia, Ember

☆ China's property crisis weighs on developing Asia's 2023 growth outlook - ADB
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Enrico Dela Cruz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Updating its regional economic outlook, the ADB trimmed its 2023 growth forecast for developing Asia to 4.7%, from 4.8% projected in July. But the growth forecast for next year for the grouping, which consists of 46 economies in the Asia-Pacific and excludes Japan, Australia and New Zealand, was revised slightly upwards to 4.8% from 4.7% previously. China's property crisis "poses a downside risk and could hold back regional growth," the ADB said in its report. The Manila-based lender maintained its 2024 growth forecasts for China and India at 4.5% and 6.7% respectively. While growth has so far been robust and inflation pressures are receding in developing Asia, Park said governments need to be vigilant against the many challenges the region faces, including food security.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Albert, Park, Enrico Dela Cruz, Mikhail Flores, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Asian Development Bank, ADB, East, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, Rights MANILA, Asia, El, Pacific, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, India, Manila

☆ ‘Everything Everywhere’ Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan on Asia's 'huge influence' on how Hollywood stories are told
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ke Huy Quan at the TIME100 Impact Awards on September 17, 2023 in Singapore. Those were the words that Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan uttered during his acceptance speech at the Academy Awards in March. Quan won the Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in "Everything Everywhere All at Once," making him only the second actor of Asian descent to win in this category. Mike Coppola | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images"Everything Everywhere All at Once" dominated the Oscars this year, clinching seven awards including best picture, best actress, best director, best editing, best supporting actor, best supporting actress and best original screenplay. Since May, Hollywood writers have been on the picket lines protesting for better wages, benefits and stronger job security.

Persons: Huy Quan, Matt Jelonek, Ke Huy Quan, Quan, Oscar, Mike Coppola, Michelle Yeoh, We're, we're, Mario Tama Organizations: Getty, Academy, Milken Institute Asia Summit, Hollywood, —, Writers Guild of America, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Guild of America, Television Locations: Singapore, American, Hollywood, Hollywood , California

☆ Supply chains may be moving out of China and into Asia — but they aren't really decoupling from the country
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Supply chains are diversifying away from China, causing a shift in global-trade patterns. Data shows that while manufacturing activity for end products has been moving out of China, supply chains haven't decoupled from the country. "Companies are moving manufacturing processes to other countries, including parts of Asia and North America, to diversify their supply chains. Companies are moving their supply chains out of China. As Insider reported in April, even Chinese companies are moving their supply chains out of China to avoid risks.

Persons: Donald Trump, Biden, Misha Govshteyn, Nomura, Sonal Varma, reexported, —, Frederic Neumann, Yukon Huang, Genevieve Slosberg, Lu Yucong, Carnegie's Huang, MaroFab's Govshteyn Organizations: Service, Apple, Mazda, Asia Supply, Nomura Holdings, East, HSBC, Association of Southeast, Nations, Carnegie Asia Program, Financial Times Locations: China, Southeast Asia, Wall, Silicon, Asia, Washington, Beijing, Vietnam, Bangladesh, North America, Houston, South Korea, Hong Kong, China's, India, Japan, Europe, Yukon, America, United States, Guangdong

However, that was still nearly twice as much as the 5.5 billion euros invested in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Reuters GraphicsOverall German direct investment flows dropped more sharply, to 63 billion euros from 104 billion euros last year, as Europe's largest economy battled recession. "Although the German economy is overall investing much less abroad, new direct investments in China remain nearly as high as before." Matthes pointed out that investments in the rest of Asia as a share of Germany's overall investments was also rising. "It is notable that nearly a quarter of German direct investment flows recently went to Asia," he said.

Persons: Thomas Peter, Juergen Matthes, Matthes, Sarah Marsh, Friederike Heine, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Investment, Reuters, Reuters Graphics, Volkswagen, BASF, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, 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

☆ Thailand to roll out more populist policies this year - PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Electric poles with electrical and telephone cables are seen in Bangkok, Thailand, August 9, 2017. "In addition to lowering cost of living is increasing wages," he said, adding that an announcement could be expected in November. Srettha, a real estate mogul and political newcomer, has come under fire in parliament for policies the opposition say lack clear direction. But the PM has said the policies would be fiscally responsible. He also plans to meet top business executives during his U.S. trip to draw more investment to Thailand.

Persons: Athit, Srettha Thavisin, Srettha, Chayut Setboonsarng, Panarat, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thai, Southeast, United Nations General Assembly, U.S, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, El, Africa, New York, China, United States

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

ASEAN, the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, includes Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam. For investors seeking emerging market exposure, Southeast Asia fits the bill, because of the region's strong economic growth and increasing population, analysts say. Some Southeast Asia companies seeking listings in the U.S. look to raise between $300 million and $1 billion, with valuations ranging from $1.5 billion to $8 billion, bankers said, without naming any firms. "International investors are seeing the value of portfolio diversification that Southeast Asia provides," Tay added. The expected pickup in Southeast Asian listings, however, could get derailed by share volatility and stringent investor scrutiny, analysts say.

Persons: DoubleDragon, Leif Schneider, Sunil Khaitan, Kelvin Teo, Andrew Lim, Tay Hwee Ling, Tay, Anuruk Karoonyavanich, Yantoultra Ngui, Scott Murdoch, Sumeet Chatterjee, Miral Organizations: Nasdaq, REUTERS, U.S, IPOs, Gushcloud International, Sunday, Reuters, VNG Corp, ASEAN, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Carsome, Southeast, Bank, America's, U.S ., Deloitte, International, DBS, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Asia, SINGAPORE, SYDNEY, United States, Singapore, New York, Philippine, Washington, Beijing, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Southeast, Southeast Asia, China, Sydney

☆ Thailand to roll out more populist policies this year, says prime minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Srettha Thavisin, Thailand's prime minister, arrives at Thai Parliament in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. Thailand will dole out 560 billion baht ($16 billion) to its 55 million adults in the next six months to spur domestic demand and investment, with new Prime Minister Srettha pitching the revival of a sluggish economy as his government's top priority. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Monday his government will be rolling out more policies by the year's end to lower living costs, including gradually reducing electricity prices and raising the minimum daily wage. The economy is expected to grow 2.8% this year, but Srettha has a target of 5% annual growth. "In addition to lowering cost of living is increasing wages," he said, adding that an announcement could be expected in November.

Persons: Srettha, Srettha Thavisin Organizations: Thai, Southeast Locations: Thai, Bangkok, Thailand, El

☆ Thai PM: Will Gradually Reduce Electricity Prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Monday his government will gradually reduce electricity prices amid efforts to lower living costs in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy. "We've already reduced electricity prices but want to reduce more but it will take several weeks," the premier said, adding the country's economic situation is "not so good". He was speaking at a forum hosted by Thai media outlet, Thairath. Srettha, a real estate mogul and political newcomer, has come under fire in parliament for policies the opposition say are vague and lack clear direction. But the PM has said the policies would be fiscally responsible and a signature 560 billion baht digital wallet handout policy would not rely on loans.

Persons: Srettha Thavisin, Srettha, Chayut Setboonsarng, Panarat, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Thai Locations: BANGKOK, Southeast Asia's

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