Thailand
Politics
A G2 moment for Southeast Asia?
From online scams to the fragile Thai-Cambodian ceasefire, the US and China face shared challenges in Southeast Asia. Cooperation could secure regional stability — and boost both leaders’ global standing, says ISEAS researcher Lye Liang Fook.
Lye Liang Fook
23 Jan 2026
Economy
The China model with different outcomes: Lessons from Kazakhstan and Thailand
Despite ambitious plans, deep pockets and expanding ties with China, neither Kazakhstan nor Thailand has achieved sustained structural transformation. Academic Guanie Lim analyses what went wrong.
Guanie Lim
29 Dec 2025
Politics
ASEAN’s charm offensive wins the room, but can it win the future?
Amid global fractures, the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur stood out for its warmth and wit — from Trump’s dance to Anwar’s deft diplomacy. But beneath the charm offensive lies a deeper test: can civility and consensus keep ASEAN united in a divided world? Academic Ma Haiyun explores the topic.
Ma Haiyun
29 Oct 2025
Politics
Did Trump upstage China in the Cambodia–Thailand truce?
The Cambodia-Thailand truce has highlighted the limits of China’s diplomacy as Beijing’s action proved less incisive than that of the US, despite Washington’s declining influence on its traditional Thai ally. Italian commentator Emanuele Scimia gives his take on the situation.
Emanuele Scimia
01 Aug 2025
Politics
The Cambodia-Thailand truce: What Malaysia, China and the US got right
Together, the three actors of Malaysia/ASEAN, China and the US formed an unusual trilateral alignment that led to the Cambodia-Thailand truce. Their cooperation may now serve as a practical model for managing emerging crises in the global south, says academic Ma Haiyun.
Ma Haiyun
31 Jul 2025
Economy
The true price of AI: Water and energy demands behind Asia’s data centre boom
Data centres are fast becoming the backbone of Southeast Asia’s digital ambitions — but their soaring demand for electricity and water threatens to trigger a sustainability crisis. Researcher Genevieve Donnellon-May looks into the issue.
Genevieve Donnellon-May
18 Jul 2025
Economy
How BYD became the leading EV brand in Southeast Asia
The Chinese EV company BYD, after overtaking Tesla in selling more EVs in 2024, has ascended to the pole position in global green mobility. How did BYD rise so fast from a budding battery maker? And how did BYD expand its overseas markets? BYD senior specialist Huang Jiayi and US academic Chen Xiangming examine BYD’s success over the past three decades, with a focus on its footprint in Southeast Asia.
Huang Jiayi, Chen Xiangming
14 Jul 2025
Politics
China’s possible role in Cambodia-Thailand border dispute
As relations between Cambodia and Thailand remain tense following a border incident along their disputed border, Cambodian researcher Sokvy Rim weighs up the key factors and considers China as a possible mediator if the situation worsens.
Sokvy Rim
18 Jun 2025
Politics
How countries exercising economic sovereignty impacts Singapore, the ‘little red dot’
Global economic developments such as the tariff war and the Kra land bridge are just some matters that could directly or indirectly affect Singapore. It is no longer just about economic sovereignty but also concerns political sovereignty, warns former Lianhe Zaobao editor Lim Jim Koon.
Lim Jim Koon
11 Jun 2025
Economy
Why Chinese investors are racing to plant durians in Southeast Asia
With the growing popularity of durians in China, some Chinese are coming to Southeast Asia to start durian plantations to cater to demand. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting speaks to durian cultivators to find out more.
Lim Zhan Ting
21 May 2025