Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia • STORY OF THE DAY • May 27, 2021 • 10 min read

Sport Meet Vietnam’s bobsledders, the country’s most unlikely sports team

By Govi Snell • May 27, 2021
Nguyễn Dân An has in recent years led a disparate collection of Vietnamese athletes for the country’s first bobsled team. Winning their first medals this year, the team has its sights set on the unlikely goal of becoming Vietnam's first representatives at the Winter Olympics

Southeast Asia • STORY OF THE DAY • May 17, 2021 • 11 min read

Cuisine How Thailand pioneered food diplomacy across the globe

By Kiana Duncan • May 17, 2021
Thai restaurants are up there with Indian, Chinese and Italian as among the most common worldwide. This is no accident, with Thailand a pioneer in one of the most successful and subtle soft power cultural programmes ever implemented – culinary diplomacy

Southeast Asia • STORY OF THE DAY • May 17, 2021 • 2 min read

Business Indonesian unicorns to merge, creating tech giant

By Agence France-Presse • May 17, 2021
Two of Indonesia's most successful start-ups, ride-hailing giant Gojek and e-commerce firm Tokopedia, are to merge, the companies announced on May 17, creating the largest tech firm in the world's fourth most populous country

Southeast Asia • May 12, 2021 • 5 min read
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The Globe has been among the region’s most consistent news sources for 14 years. But as the pandemic bites, our future is uncertain as we face our hardest period to date
By Southeast Asia Globe team • May 12, 2021

Southeast Asia • May 07, 2021 • 15 min read
Covid-19

As virus cases explode, why has the Mekong region success story ended?

The Mekong region countries were until recently heralded as exceptional cases in controlling the spread of Covid-19. But recent weeks have seen cases explode across Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, leaving Vietnam on high alert and observers asking what's gone so wrong
By Alastair McCready, Wanpen Pajai and Govi Snell • May 07, 2021

Southeast Asia • May 06, 2021 • 9 min read
Women's rights

Thai-Muslim women join forces against domestic violence in Deep South

Groups in Thailand's Deep South are pushing back against a conservative religious context, bringing taboo topics such as domestic violence to the surface as they plug holes in government services and offer abused women a much-needed way out
By Ryan Anders and Wildan Muna • May 06, 2021

Southeast Asia • May 06, 2021 • 8 min read

Laying Foundations: Inspiring Cambodia’s next generation of readers

While basic literacy has increased in Cambodia over the last twenty years, reading continues to be an activity restricted to the confines of the country’s classrooms and study halls. But there are some groups working to ignite a passion for literature in the Kingdom, and local content creators are key to their success
By Stew Post • May 06, 2021

Southeast Asia • May 04, 2021 • 8 min read
Opinion

Thailand’s proposed NGO law will devastate civil society

When Cambodia passed its infamous LANGO bill in 2015, it helped bring about a new era of single-party rule. Now, Thailand seems to be following suit, with the Cabinet tabling a draft law on NGOs in February which Mark S. Cogan argues would devastate civil society
By Mark S. Cogan • May 04, 2021

Southeast Asia • Apr 26, 2021 • 3 min read
Covid-19

New Covid restrictions in Thailand as cases rise

New Covid restrictions came into force in Thailand on April 26 in an attempt to halt a spiralling outbreak that saw deaths hit a record single-day high over the weekend
By Agence France-Presse • Apr 26, 2021

Southeast Asia • Apr 23, 2021 • 4 min read
Human rights

Virus-hit Indonesia orders the execution of prisoners online

Indonesia has sentenced scores of prisoners to death over Zoom and other video apps during the pandemic, turning to virtual court hearings as Covid-19 restrictions shut down most in-person trials
By Haeril Halim/AFP • Apr 23, 2021