The 2026 revitalisation programme will prioritise schools affected by disasters, as well as those located in frontier, disadvantaged, and remote regions, along with institutions in severely damaged conditions.
In the first quarter of 2026, Thailand's total exports reached 96.17 billion USD, up 17.6%, while imports surged 32.4% to 105.65 billion USD, leading to a trade deficit of 9.48 billion USD.
In recent years, Bangkok has undergone a profound urban transformation that goes far beyond infrastructure upgrades or isolated development projects. Across the city, a new pattern is emerging - one where green regeneration, cultural expression, and smart urban management intersect to redefine how people experience the modern metropolis.
According to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) Bahlil Lahadalia, it consumes around 1.6 million barrels of fuel per day, while domestic production stands at only about 600,000 barrels daily. Around 20–25% of its crude oil imports come from the Middle East and pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Under the proposed model, the fund will draw in private-sector co-investment. Talks are set to be held this week with the World Bank as the first institution to be approached, as it is an international financial institution that provides financing and technical assistance to developing countries.
At a working session with a delegation from the Vietnam–Korea Business and Investment Association (VKBIA) led by its Chairman Tran Hai Linh on April 25, Nam praised the association’s role as a vital bridge linking the city with Korean partners. He reaffirmed the city’s readiness to facilitate VKBIA member enterprises in exploring and expanding investment.
Data from Enterprise Singapore indicated that bilateral trade reached 13.6 billion SGD (10.6 billion USD) in Q1, up 38.3% year-on-year. Singapore’s exports to Vietnam rose 6.5% to 7.7 billion SGD (6.03 billion USD), while imports from Vietnam jumped 128.7% to 5.8 billion SGD, a strong signal of Vietnam’s rapidly growing export momentum in the Singapore market.
Vietnam is under pressure to position battery energy storage systems (BESS) as strategic energy infrastructure, as fast-growing renewable capacity highlights grid stability challenges and opens up a multi-billion-dollar market for domestic firms.
In addition to independent patrols, which are conducted throughout the year, Bakamla is conducting collaborative patrols with domestic agencies such as the Indonesian Navy, the Maritime and Shipping Surveillance Unit (KPLP), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), as well as Customs and Excise, and Immigration.
Ahmad Amiruddin, Director of the ministry' Electricity Program Development, said that this milestone serves as the foundation for the national vision of developing 100 GW of solar energy, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
With current resources, Indonesia is well-positioned to manage external shocks without additional debt, and stressed that the government’s priority is to maximise domestic resources, an official has said.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi have underscored the importance of enhancing security cooperation, particularly in combating transnational crime and scammer gangs that have affected people on a large scale.
Vietnam–Laos ties continue to deepen, with energy cooperation being a key area. Vietnam is Laos’ second-largest investor, with major hydropower, renewable energy and cross-border power transmission projects helping unlock Laos’ energy potential and strengthen connectivity.
The solidarity and central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) serve as a “reliable anchor” for overcoming challenges. As ASEAN Chair in 2026, the Philippines has selected the theme theme “Navigating Our Future, Together” focusing on three key priorities - peace and security; prosperity corridors; and people empowerment.
A joint statement issued on April 23 by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said the websites masquerade as Singapore websites by spoofing or using terms associated with the country in their domain name.
Eniya Listiani Dewi, director general of new, renewable energy and energy conservative at the Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM), said that the B50 blend, consisting of 50% crude palm oil (CPO) and 50% fossil diesel, is still in the road testing phase, which has been underway since December 9, 2025.
During screening, officers discovered multiple suspicious packages in his luggage. Further examination by the Central Narcotics Bureau uncovered a total of 68 packages containing 36.3kg of cannabis.
According to a joint statement released on April 23 by the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Ministry of Trade and Industry Singapore, overall inflation rose to 1.8% year-on-year, up from 1.2% in February.
The ASEAN Summit will take place on May 7–8 in Cebu, while ASEAN summits with partners and related meetings will be held in Manila later this year. Previously, about 650 ministerial- and senior official-level meetings scheduled to be hosted by the Philippines will be held online.
Infrastructure development is identified as a key driver for sustainable economic growth in Indonesia as the country’s economy faces emerging challenges.
After reaching rice self-sufficiency by the end of 2025, the government now aims for a bigger milestone: achieving self-sufficiency in eight key food commodities, namely rice, corn, sugar, large chillies, cayenne pepper, chicken meat, chicken eggs, and shallots, by this June.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation of Malaysia, said the country had achieved 31% installed RE capacity as of December 2025.
Deputy Minister Dang Hoang Giang reaffirmed that ASEAN views Russia as one of its key partners contributing to regional peace, stability and development. He proposed enhancing high-level strategic exchanges, strengthening cooperation in priority areas such as cybersecurity, including the effective implementation of the Hanoi Convention, and expanding collaboration within ASEAN-led mechanisms.
Thailand is ready to share its experience and successful models in green urban development with Vietnam, as the two countries share many similar characteristics, including rapid urbanisation, traffic congestion, flooding, canal networks and growing demand for greener public spaces, Thai officials have said in recent interviews with the Vietnam News Agency.
Amid prolonged uncertainty, tourism should not be viewed solely as a driver of visitor numbers but also as a vital source of foreign exchange earnings, helping to cushion external economic pressures, said a Malaysian minister.
In its latest report, KKP Research noted that Thailand’s vulnerability goes beyond its reliance on imported crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Disruptions to shipping routes in the Middle East could also worsen shortages of fertilisers, affecting agricultural output, as well as petrochemical feedstocks, which would impact the plastics and textile industries.
Thailand's fiscal 2027 budget is projected at around 3.78 trillion THB (nearly 118 billion USD), a 2% increase from the previous year, with a focus on targeted spending and cutting unnecessary expenses, according to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
The latest move follows a price adjustment last month that cut fuel costs by about 2.14 THB (0.067 USD) per litre, Thailand plans to further reduce prices by more than 2 THB per litre later this week.
