by Teuvo Tuomi | Dec 10, 2023 | Laos, China, Economy, News
An alarming debt crisis has unfolded in Laos, raising worries about the nation’s obligations to its biggest creditors like China. A majority of Laos’ public debt, which the IMF estimates is 122% of GDP this year, is owed to China due to infrastructure...
by Teuvo Tuomi | Dec 7, 2023 | Laos, Economy, Thailand, Travel
81% of the 5th Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge Project has already been completed, including 69% of the bridge and 93% of related facilities. The bridge should be operational by the end of 2024. The project started in August 2019, funded by a 1.38 billion (USD 39 million)...
by Teuvo Tuomi | Nov 23, 2023 | Business, Digitalization, News, Technology, Thailand
Thailand will have up to 105 smart cities by 2027, Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai says. Smart cities will utilize Big Data solutions to improve public life and tackle people’s everyday issues, the minister adds. So far, 36 municipalities in 25 provinces have...
by Teuvo Tuomi | Nov 16, 2023 | Asia, ASEAN, Economy, Indonesia, News
Multilateral talks in the United States on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) have failed to produce an agreement on trade. Experts see this as a setback for Asians to gain greater access to the US market for products, including critical minerals. Coordinating...
by Teuvo Tuomi | Nov 12, 2023 | Asia, Business, News, Technology
According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII 2023), innovation investments showed a mixed performance in 2022, facing challenges and a downturn in innovation finance. The report says that outlook for 2023 and...
