Asia & Philippines news

The day's most relevant stories from the Philippines and Asia's major countries. Links to original sources.

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomySep 1, 2026

SRT plans contingency for Airport Rail Link handover after exit notice

The Airport Rail Link may face a temporary extension of two to three months while the State Railway of Thailand (SRT) works out how to keep trains running, Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said, after the private operator submitted a letter seeking to exercise its righ

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomySep 1, 2026

Toyota invests US$283 million to expand hybrid vehicle production in Vietnam

Toyota Motor Vietnam will upgrade its Phu Tho manufacturing complex for electrified and CKD vehicles, with total registered capacity of approximately 52,000 cars per year. Toyota Motor Vietnam has secured approval for an investment project worth more than US$283 million, approxim

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 31, 2026

Thailand nominee crackdown cuts new filings by 75%

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Suphajee Suthumpun has clarified that a widely cited 75% drop in nominee businesses refers only to newly registered entities in the nominee-risk category, not to all nominee arrangements in Thailand. Suphajee raised the issue on Faceboo

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 31, 2026

BOI, Airbus shake hands on Bangkok’s Skywise Asia hub role

BOI met Airbus Thailand as it named Bangkok the regional Skywise base for ASEAN, China, India, Japan and South Korea, expanding staff and local suppliers. The story BOI, Airbus shake hands on Bangkok’s Skywise Asia hub role as seen on Thaiger News.

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 30, 2026

Thailand seizes 1.84 million fake goods, damage tops 809 million baht

Thai officials seized more than 1.84 million intellectual property-infringing and counterfeit items in 512 cases during the first seven months of 2026, with the damage estimated at more than 809 million baht. The Department of Intellectual Property released the figures yesterday,

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 30, 2026

Thai PM blocks CP’s exit from rail deal

A dispute over Thailand’s flagship three-airport high-speed rail project has escalated, with the government warning that a private operator cannot simply walk away from a multi-billion-baht contract. The warning follows a bid by a CP Group-linked firm to terminate its role in the

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 27, 2026

CP Group presses again for three-airport rail contract termination

Deputy Transport Minister Siripong Angkasakulkiat says a unilateral termination has no legal effect yet and urges settlement before Sept. 30. The story CP Group presses again for three-airport rail contract termination as seen on Thaiger News.

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 25, 2026

Bangkok, Doha to widen scope of economic partnership

Thailand and Qatar are looking to turn their diplomatic relationship into concrete cooperation across energy, food security, medical tourism and finance, Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said during a courtesy call with Qatar’s newly posted ambassador. Anu

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 25, 2026

Interior Ministry probes 112 firms over Koh Pha Ngan land holdings

The Ministry of Interior ordered a wider investigation into suspected nominee businesses, with 112 juristic persons on Koh Pha Ngan under scrutiny over possible illegal land ownership. Deputy Interior Minister Worawit Liangprasert said today, August 25, that authorities had been

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 24, 2026

Thailand unemployment rises to 400,000 as real wages fall

Thailand’s unemployment rose to about 400,000 people in the second quarter of 2026, even as the overall number of people in work grew. The jobless rate reached 0.95%, according to Thailand’s National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC). Total employment rose 5.1% year

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 21, 2026

Japan’s automakers told their base in Thailand is safe

Anutin told reporters in Australia and New Zealand that Thailand will not add conditions on established Japanese investors as it courts new EV players, and tasked Ekniti with a fairness review. The story Japan’s automakers told their base in Thailand is safe as seen on Thaiger Ne

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 21, 2026

China’s housing crash architect gets life in prison

A court in Shenzhen has sentenced China Evergrande Group founder Hui Ka Yan to life in prison, closing the criminal case tied to the collapse of the world’s most indebted property developer. The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court handed down the ruling yesterday, August 20, ord

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 20, 2026

Authorities seek details on restrictions on Thai inhalers in China trade events

Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP) is seeking more information about why Thai inhalers have reportedly been prevented from participating in trade exhibitions in China following complaints from Thai manufacturers. DITP Director-General Sunanta Kangwal-Ku

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 18, 2026

Cabinet backs Thailand as regional arbitration hub

The Cabinet has approved a draft host country agreement with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), part of a plan to establish Thailand as a regional centre for settling international disputes. Deputy government spokesperson Lalida Persvivatana said today, August 18, that the

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 17, 2026

Broker sold villagers’ IDs to register 35 Chinese nominee firms

Commerce Ministry inspectors found no business activity at the registered addresses in Khok Si Suphan, the department's director-general said The story Broker sold villagers’ IDs to register 35 Chinese nominee firms as seen on Thaiger News.

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 17, 2026

Hundreds of Phuket firms face fresh ownership checks

Thai officials are investigating whether a suspected nominee network is using naturalised citizenship to disguise foreign ownership of businesses in Phuket and several other provinces. The Interior Ministry has ordered checks on more than 100 Phuket companies and a wider list of

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 17, 2026

Home-grown factories could gain edge in levy shake-up

Thailand plans to rewrite the way it taxes cars, as excise rates are expected to fall for vehicles built in the country and rise for fully imported models from carmakers with no factory here. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas announced the plan and

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 15, 2026

Central Retail half-year profit up 42.5% on new stores and wider margins

Central Retail made just over 5 billion baht in core profit in the first half of 2026. That is 42.5% more than it made in the same six months last year. Revenue for the half came to 126.6 billion baht, up 2.4%. The second quarter did most of the work. Revenue rose 3.5% to 60.1 …

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 13, 2026

Thailand denies plan to leverage US military ties in tariff dispute

BANGKOK — The Thai government has rejected foreign media reports alleging that it intends to use its long-standing military alliance with the United States as leverage in ongoing bilateral trade negotiations. The clarification follows a Bloomberg report citing an undisclosed offi

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 13, 2026

Toyota Thailand executive urges stronger EV policy amid Indonesia bid

A senior Toyota Motor Thailand executive has warned the Thai government that the country’s automotive competitiveness is at risk unless EV industry policy improves. Supakorn Ratanawaraha, Senior Executive Vice President of Toyota Motor Thailand, made the comments days after Indon

🇹🇭 ThailandEconomyAug 10, 2026

Women built Thailand’s hotel industry, but they still don’t run it

Hospitality has never had a talent problem when it comes to women. It has a seniority problem. Women make up 51.2% of the global hospitality workforce, according to industry data reported by Hospitality Investor in March 2025, yet hold only 30% of executive roles. Thailand’s hote

Summaries link to the original story. ArchipelagoExpat is not the source of these news items; each article belongs to its author and outlet.