OPHI and UNDP Regional MPI Brief: Leaving no one behind: Asia and the Pacific Region 2021
Introduction Across pre-pandemic Asia and the Pacific Region (APR), there was an improvement in the poverty levels of those who are poor according to the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), but there are many still left behind. Key findings LEVELS Across 21 countries and 3.9 billion people with global MPI data in the APR region, around…
Thailand Welcomes Tourism, Economic Progress, Looks Ahead to 2023 Elections
BANGKOK — After two years of battling the COVID-19 pandemic and facing political unrest, Thailand is looking ahead to general elections and a bumper year for tourism in 2023. Experts say the elections could promote further economic growth and create stability for the kingdom. While facing economic setbacks due to the pandemic, Thailand struggled with…
Two musical events expected to snarl up Bangkok traffic this weekend
Bangkok motorists are advised to avoid certain roads today (Saturday) and tomorrow due to two major events which are expected to attract big crowds. The first is the Blackpink World Tour (Born Pink) concert, by the famous South Korean girl group Blackpink, being performed at the Supachalasai National Stadium on Rama 1 Road today and…
Vietnamese DPM Pham Binh Minh loses his job
Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Binh Minh has lost his position, along with another Deputy Prime Minister, Vu Duc Dam. Neither will serve as members of the Central Party Committee from now on. Minh has been expelled from the Vietnamese Communist Party, as he was dismissed as a member of the Politburo. No specific reason…
Important Juncture Thai BRN
Thailand’s negotiation with the rebel Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) has reached a critical juncture as both sides continue to struggle to identify a common ground on how to move the peace talks forward. To complicate the matter even further, this peace process has produced two competing tracks — the official one with Malaysia as the…