Race to finance Asia’s infrastructure heats up
Asia will need $1700bn per year in investments in power, transport, telecommunications and water through 2030, according to ADB latest estimation.

“Asia will need $1700bn per year in investments in power, transport, telecommunications and water through 2030.
This is more than double our previous estimate,” Asian Development Bank (ADB) president Takehiko Nakao told the 50th Annual Meeting of ADB’s board of governors last week.
And yet, as Mr Nakao reported, while ADB’s total operations last year achieved record levels, they only reached $31.7bn: a drop in the ocean relative to the region’s financing needs.
[ad_1]
Stepping into this financing gap over the past year or so has been China’s motivation to create the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
This new bank’s lending may be only slowly getting off the ground, but it already has more members than the ADB, and its authorised lending limit is also higher than the ADB’s. The new competition from the AIIB has seen the ADB streamline its lending procedures and rush to approve new lending.
[ad_2]

Economics
Thai Exports to grow 4% in 2021
Contributing factors include the recovering world economy and the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) estimate that the world economy will expand 5.2 percent in 2021 from a contraction of 4.4% this year.
Tourism
Thai Government imposes ban on gatherings over New Year 2021 holidays
TAT would like to remind all that New Year 2021 activities have been cancelled or gone virtual nationwide to avoid large gatherings according to the Royal Thai Government’s guidelines.

Bangkok, 31 December, 2020 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) would like to provide the latest update regarding the Royal Thai Government’s latest announcement on the ban of gatherings nationwide.
(more…)National
Thai cabinet allows illegal migrant workers to sign up for 2-year work permit
Migrant workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, who are in Thailand illegally, will be able to obtain a 2-year work permit under a special arrangement offered to help contain the spread of COVID-19.

BANGKOK (NNT) – Cabinet has approved a special arrangement for illegal migrant workers from neighboring countries, allowing them to register for 2-year legal work status in Thailand, following the case of a new COVID-19 outbreak among the migrant workers’ community.
(more…)-
National4 days ago
Thai cabinet allows illegal migrant workers to sign up for 2-year work permit
-
Investment7 days ago
Thailand Saw $1.7 billion Applications in Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) Investments in 2020, BOI Says
-
Tourism3 days ago
Thai Government imposes ban on gatherings over New Year 2021 holidays
-
Economics1 day ago
Thai Exports to grow 4% in 2021