William Baldwin

How the Thai military would respond to a ‘no’ vote is unknown. Source: Wikimedia   Thai voters will return to the ballot booths on Sunday for the first time since the military took power in May 2014 in a referendum on the general’s constitution. It is the...

Another competitor Ojek UI vs Go-Jek. Motorbikes have helped to dodge Jakarta’s notorious queues. Source: Flickr Indonesia’s motorbike-hailing service Go-Jek has raised funding in excess of US$550 million from KKR, Warburg Pincus and other investors, boosting its bid to become the archipelago’s market leader. Go-Jek, Uber...

The Thai authorities take a zero-tolerance approach to dissent at the moment. Source: Wikimedia The mother of a prominent campaigner against the Thai junta has been charged with insulting the revered monarchy in a one-word Facebook post. Patnaree Chankij, 40, was brought to a military court...

Singapore’s affluent, tech-savvy population is one factor making it suitable for the driverless pilot. Source: Pixabay   The pioneering Delphi Automotive is planning to launch six self-driving cars in Singapore next year to move goods and passengers around a business park and roll out a full...

April 1975. The Khmer Rouge celebrate as they enter Phnom Penh. Source: Flickr Cambodia's success in blocking a united Asean approach to the South China Sea dispute after the recent foreign ministers' meeting in Laos should come as no surprise. China and Cambodia have a murky...

Declining fuel profits have hit Singapore’s financial sector. Source: Wikimedia   DBS Group Holdings, the biggest Singaporean lender, is confident it will recover about half of its S$700 million exposure to the collapse of the oilfield services firm, Swiber Holding, as the two other major banks...

Giant Chinese machinery and unrestricted digging have created a wasteland in Hpakant, Kachin State. Source: YouTube The shakeup of the scandal-ridden Burmese jade business could reduce human rights abuses and corruption, campaigners say. In a bold challenge to the nation's vested interests, Nay Pyi Taw announced...

Nay Pyi Taw’s grip on ethnically distinct Kachin State is loose. Source: YouTube Leaders from 17 rebel armies in Myanmar are meeting in Kachin State to discuss a federal constitution and a joint strategy ahead of the peace conference scheduled for next month. The town of...

Buddhism is an intrinsic part of Burmese society. Source: Asean Economist   The Burmese nationalist Buddhist organisation, called the Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion or Ma Ba Tha, is losing government and online support, creating an unexpected twist in Myanmar’s complex relationship between...

Singapore is playing financial hardball. Source: Wikimedia   The Singaporean regulatory authorities have promised stronger action to address damage to the city-state’s reputation caused by anti-money laundering lapses linked to Malaysia’s scandal-ridden 1Malaysia Development Bhd investment fund. The Monetary Authority of Singapore conducted a 15-month probe into...