Thailand

Southeast Asia’s mixed AI stacks: Pragmatic but not risk-free

Regional initiatives such as Singapore’s SEA-LION and Indonesia’s Sahabat-AI show that Southeast Asia can combine technologies from American, Chinese and regional sources. But mixed AI stacks do not automatically reduce dependence. ISEAS academic Zenobia Chan tells us more.

Zenobia Chan

08 Oct 2026

China tech firms drive AI data centre boom in Southeast Asia

China is powering Southeast Asia’s data centre boom. But as demand surges and resources tighten, Chinese companies are localising their operations and reshaping the region’s digital infrastructure.

Caixin Global

28 Aug 2026

Thai Buddhist amulets draw China’s anxious youth — and laundering networks

Thai Buddhist amulets have become a lifeline for anxious young Chinese — and an ideal vehicle for cross-border money laundering, forcing Thai authorities to crack down on the fast-growing amulet trade.

Caixin Global

07 Aug 2026

The durian express: How Southeast Asia flooded China’s market

A flood of Southeast Asian durians has sent prices tumbling in China, making the once-costly fruit affordable for many. But what is driving the drop, and can it be sustained? Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Liu Liu finds out.

Liu Liu

13 Jul 2026

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

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

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

Trump at ASEAN: A showcase of US–China rivalry on Malaysia’s turf

As Malaysia hosts Trump amid protests and great power rivalry, its role as ASEAN chair becomes a stress test for the region’s diplomatic neutrality and fragile unity.

Tang Siew Mun

29 Oct 2025

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

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

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

China’s SEANWFZ move: A strategic signal in a fracturing nuclear order

China’s readiness to sign the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty represents a rare moment of leadership in a stalled arms control regime, says academic Hao Nan.

Hao Nan

14 Jul 2025