Explore Business Standard
Thailand
Parts of Asia were reeling after torrents of rain unleashed catastrophic floods and landslides last week, killing more than 1,400 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia. The disaster has also laid bare stark economic disparities in the region. Indonesia has borne the heaviest blow, recording at least 753 deaths, followed by Sri Lanka with 465. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said it's too early to determine the exact number of dead in his country. At least 185 people in Thailand and three in Malaysia have also been confirmed dead. Rescue teams on Wednesday were racing against time to reach isolated communities, as more than 1,000 remain missing and as villages lie buried under mud and debris amid ongoing power and telecommunications outages. Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto visited a disaster zone Monday, promising aid and support for rebuilding though he has yet to declare a national emergency or sought international assistance like his counterpar
Emergency crews raced to reach survivors and recover more bodies Tuesday after the death toll from last week's catastrophic floods and landslides surged past 1,200 in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, with more than 800 people missing. Days of heavy monsoon rains inundated vast areas, leaving thousands stranded and many clinging to rooftops waiting for help. The flooding and landslides killed at least 1,230 people, with 659 people confirmed dead in Indonesia, 390 in Sri Lanka and 181 in Thailand, authorities said Tuesday. In Indonesia, the hardest-hit nation, rescuers are struggling to access villages in Sumatra island, where roads have been washed out and bridges have collapsed. At least 475 people remain missing, according to the country's National Disaster Management Agency. Helicopters and boats have been deployed, but officials warn that worsening weather and damaged infrastructure are slowing operations. Military-led rescue teams in Sri Lanka continue to scour devastated ar
Recovery and aid efforts are underway in parts of Southeast Asia and South Asia where the full number of dead and missing are not yet known after heavy rains and flooding left a devastating toll in the past week. The severe weather killed at least 469 people in Indonesia, 162 in Thailand and 334 in Sri Lanka, authorities said. In Thailand, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Saturday outlined recovery and compensation plans for the southern part of the country, where the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitgiation said severe flooding in 12 southern provinces affected more than 1.4 million households and 3.8 million people. Sri Lanka authorities said Monday that rescuers are still searching for 370 missing people. Nearly 148,000 people are housed in temporary shelters after being battered in the past week downpours that flooded homes, fields and roads and triggered landslides, primarily in the tea-growing central hill country. Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto on Monday .
Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk is close to completing its week-long participation in the Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime Exercise (SITMEX-25). The fifth edition of SITMEX, which began on November 23 and was hosted this year by the Republic of Singapore Navy, aims to bolster maritime cooperation, enhance inter-operability and strengthen the collective capability of the three navies in the Indo-Pacific region. The exercise opened with a three-day Harbour Phase that included cross-deck visits, professional exchanges and friendly sporting events to build mutual understanding and camaraderie among participating personnel. Naval Component Commander Commodore Nitesh Garg and INS Karmuk's Commanding Officer called on High Commissioner of India to Singapore Dr Shilpak Ambule and briefed him on the ship's visit for the ongoing maritime exercise, according to the High Commissioner on Friday. The Indian High Commission welcomed INS Karmuk, describing it as an indigenously built Kora-class ..
The death toll in widespread flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains in Southeast Asia mounted on Monday with another person reported killed in Vietnam, and five others in Thailand with tens of thousands of people displaced. The total number of confirmed dead in Vietnam is now 91, with 11 others missing as the heavy rain that began a week ago has caused severe flooding and triggered landslides from Quang Tri to Lam Dong provinces, a stretch of 800 kilometers along the country's central region, including the highlands. In Dak Lak, the worst hit province, 63 people were killed, mostly due to drowning. Other fatalities were from Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Gia Lai, Danang, Hue and Quang Tri provinces. With roads washed out in many areas, helicopters have been deployed to drop food and aid supplies and to assist in evacuating people. After a break in the rain on the weekend, Pham Thu Huyen was one of many hundreds of residents and visitors who helped clean up debris washed ashore in Nha
President Donald Trump said Friday that he had successfully eased hostilities between Cambodia and Thailand, saying that he'd been able to preserve a previous, US-brokered ceasefire that had appeared to be breaking down. I stopped a war just today, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for the weekend. He said his actions were made possible by his willingness to impose steep tariffs on countries around the world, which he has argued gives the US great leverage on trade and diplomatic leverage. The president said he'd spoken to the prime ministers of both countries by phone and now, They're doing great. They were not doing great. He said the conversations left him believing, I think they're going to be fine. Territorial disputes over exactly where the border lies between the Southeast Asian neighbors led to five days of armed conflict in late July that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. Trump threatened to withhold trade ...
India on Thursday repatriated 270 of its nationals from Thailand in two military transport aircraft, days after they fled to Thai border town of Mae Sot from a notorious scam centre in Myanmar following a crackdown on it. Around 500 Indian nationals were among 1,500 people from 28 countries who crossed over to Thailand late last month following the raid on the cybercrime hub of KK Park in Myanmarese city of Myawaddy. The Indian embassy in Bangkok said the Thai government has facilitated repatriation of 270 Indian nationals, including 26 women, from Mae Sot to India by two special flights operated by the Indian Air Force. These Indian nationals recently crossed into Thailand from Myawaddy where they were allegedly working in the cyber scam-centres, it said on social media. The Indians were detained by Thai authorities for violation of the country's immigration laws when they had entered it illegally, the Indian mission said. India is expected to operate more flights on Friday to br
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday refuted his US counterpart Donald Trump's claims at their summit meeting in Busan that China was not involved in establishing peace between Cambodia and Thailand. At the much-publicised summit, Xi said that he appreciated Trump's "great contribution to the recent conclusion of the Gaza ceasefire agreement". However, Xi rebutted Trump's assertion that China was not involved in establishing peace between Cambodia and Thailand. Xi told Trump that Beijing had been helping the two Southeast Asian neighbours to settle their border dispute in our own way, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported. Xi's assertion outlines Beijing's redlines as China too seeks to play a dominant role in Southeast Asia, where it has established strong security and trade links with countries of the region, including Thailand and Cambodia. During the height of the Thailand-Cambodia confrontation, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held closed consultations to
Cambodia and Thailand on Sunday signed an expansion of a ceasefire that US President Donald Trump helped broker this summer to end their border conflict. Trump used the threat of higher tariffs against both countries to help get them to agree to end the fighting that resulted in dozens of deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands. The US leader watched as Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the expanded ceasefire at the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which both nations are members. The agreement included Thailand releasing 18 Cambodian soldiers held prisoner and for both sides to begin removing heavy weapons from the border area. Territory along the 800-kilometre frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but previous confrontations were limited and brief.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed grief over the demise of Thailand's Queen Mother Sirikit, and said her lifelong dedication to public service will continue to inspire generations. "I am deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, The Queen Mother of Thailand," the prime minister said in a post on X. "Her lifelong dedication to public service will continue to inspire generations. My heartfelt condolences to His Majesty The King, the members of the Royal Family and the people of Thailand in this hour of profound grief," Modi said. Queen Sirikit, who supervised royal projects to help the rural poor, preserve traditional craft-making and protect the environment, passed away on Friday. She was 93.