Author: Darrell Anderson

YANGON, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) — Over 50 pigs have died of the African swine fever in Tachilek township of eastern Myanmar’s Shan State, the Livestock Breeding and Veterinary Department said on Thursday. Ye Tun Win, director-general of the department, told Xinhua on Thursday that laboratory tests were conducted upon receiving reports of deceased pigs. In response, movement of pigs in the affected area has been restricted to prevent further spread of the disease, the official said. Currently, the affected regions have been designated as disease control zones in efforts to contain the spread of the swine disease, he said. The…

Thailand’s Thai Elite golden visa scheme has undergone a significant overhaul, now rebranded as Thailand Privilege and with price hikes ranging from 50 per cent to 500 per cent across different packages. The move, coinciding with its 20th anniversary, was announced by Thailand Privilege Card Co. (TCP), a Tourism Authority of Thailand subsidiary. The former Thai Elite visa, priced at one million baht (US$28,587) and available to all, has given way to an exclusive Reserve Card, which is by invitation only and limited to just 100 new members annually. This costs five million baht. Holders of the Reserve Card can…

Vietnam’s legislature recently issued a draft amendment to the country’s Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights. The draft amendment seeks to address shortcomings and strengthen the protection of consumer rights in Vietnam. In one important update, the draft amendment appears to expand the scope of application to foreign companies providing products and services to consumers in Vietnam, which could increase their compliance burden. Vietnam’s consumer rights legislation has developed significantly over the last two decades, but rapid changes to the consumer environment, as well as inconsistent enforcement of existing laws, have meant that consumers are still left vulnerable to…

CNN — When an estranged son of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn turned up in the capital Bangkok earlier this month after a three decade-long absence, it caught many in the kingdom by surprise. Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, 42, is the King’s second oldest son but had been living and working in the United States with his mother and siblings ever since his family’s estrangement from the royal family following his parents’ divorce in 1996. Stripped of his royal title, Vacharaesorn had been educated in the US and the United Kingdom and became a lawyer working in New York. So when Vacharaesorn was photographed last Tuesday visiting a Bangkok day care…

Last September, Thai Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalerm­chai Sri-on hinted at Thailand and Vietnam joining forces to “raise global rice prices”, which would be equivalent to forming a rice cartel. However, his Vietnamese counterparts quickly issued a denial, insisting that no such agreement existed and that Vietnam always “respects market principles and is responsible to global food security”. With global rice prices reaching the highest level in a decade as a result of rice juggernaut India’s recent export restriction, the discourse around a potential rice cartel between the second and third largest rice exporters has reemerged. The rice cartel concept is not novel. It…

Using a local distributor can be a low-cost, low-risk, very quick way to enter the Vietnam market. Finding the right distributor, however, can be tricky. Here’s what you should be aware of when embarking on a distributor-dependent market entry. High inflation and interest rates, along with currency fluctuations are all making it expensive and risky for businesses to expand into markets overseas. Between permits, registrations, and visas, as well as hiring staff and dealing with in-country logistics, it can also be a lot of work. In this light, using a local Vietnamese distributor may be a better option. This is…

Prof Nidhi Eoseewong: The pioneer who cut new paths through Thai history Professor Nidhi Eoseewong, a renowned historian who became an opinion leader and political commentator, died of lung cancer on August 7 at the age of 83. A long-time history lecturer at Chiang Mai University until his retirement in 2000, Nidhi was once described as “one of the greatest historians that Thailand has ever produced … [and] also a leading figure in the Thai intellectual circle”. So said the award citation when Nidhi received the Fukuoka Academic Prize from the Japanese city of Fukuoka in 1999 at the age…

Over 400 Indians who fled to neighbouring Myanmar from the border town Moreh in Manipur when ethnic violence broke out on May 3 have safely returned home, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said today in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Mr Singh thanked the Indian Army for bringing the Indians – all of them from the Meitei community – home safely. “Relief and gratitude as 212 fellow Indian citizens (all Meiteis) who sought safety across the Myanmar border post the May 3rd unrest in Moreh town of Manipur, are now safely back on Indian soil,” Mr Singh said in…

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China wants to strengthen relations with Thailand. At a meeting Saturday in Beijing with Thailand’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Wang says both sides need to accelerate the construction of the China-Thailand high speed railway project and crack down on telecom fraud. WANG YI Chinese Foreign Minister “China is willing to work together with Thailand to implement the important results achieved during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Thailand last November. And we hope the two sides to promote the construction of China-Thailand community with a shared future while addressing various challenges together.” Thailand’s…

About 33 per cent of new HIV infections in Vietnam were found in young high-risk populations, higher than the global average of 27 per cent, local media has reported citing data from UNAIDS 2023 HIV Estimates. This rate put Vietnam among the seven countries with a proportion of young people among total new HIV infections higher than the regional and global average — together with Myanmar (53 per cent), Indonesia (48 per cent), Thailand and the Philippines (47 per cent), Cambodia (43 per cent), and Laos (42 per cent), local newspaper Vietnam News reported. However, the positive note is the…