Singapore’s core inflation fell sharply to -0.1 percent in February, from 0.3 percent in January, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on March 23.

Thailand will declare a state of emergency and introduce new countermeasures against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on March 26, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on March 24.

The Lao Ministry of Health on March 24 confirmed the first two cases of the acute respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), becoming the last Southeast Asian nation attacked by the disease.

Indonesia has decided to put the national exams for elementary, secondary and high school students in 2020 on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said a member of the Indonesian House of Representatives on March 24.

Thai Royal Police on March 24 announced temporary closure of borders with Myanmar and Malaysia adjacent to Thailand's deep southern provinces to contain the COVID-19 epidemic.

The Ministry of Health and Sports of Myanmar on March 23 reported the two first cases of the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Indonesian Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has called on Muslim clerics to issue fatwas to regulate the special circumstances that Muslims may find themselves in amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) will cut 96 percent of its scheduled capacity until the end of April as border controls around the world are tightened over the past days to curb the COVID-19 outbreak.

Thailand has introduced measures that include a liquidity support fund worth 70-100 billion THB (2.2-3.2 billion USD) to reduce riska in the debt market amid the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Director-General of the Department of Disease Control of Thailand has informed regional administrations to plan for further outbreaks of COVID-19 as more people than expected have been traveling to their hometowns under the “Work from Home” policy.

Cambodia on March 23 recorded two more patients tested positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, raising the tally to 86.

Thailand’s rice packers warn that packaged rice prices are likely to increase further after domestic rice prices rose by 20-30 percent since the start of the year, mostly due to drought and a sharp rise in demand amid of COVID-19 outbreak.

People have been visiting shopping malls to buy food after the Governor of Bangkok announced the closure of risk places for 22 days.

Streets across Laos have been decorated with national and Party flags to celebrate the 65th founding anniversary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) (March 22, 1955-2020).