Cambodia

Songkran is here. So is Thailand’s worst energy crisis in years

13 Apr 2026 - 3:50PM

Southeast Asia forced-labour scams

Asian Angle | Doubts about Trump strain Southeast Asia’s US-China balancing act

12 Apr 2026 - 12:00PMvideocam

Food and agriculture

Asia’s ‘panicked farmers’ brace for a looming rice crisis post-Iran war

Shortages of imported fertilisers and fuel could not have come at a worse time for many Southeast Asian rice farmers.

11 Apr 2026 - 11:04AM

A woman harvests rice in Kandal province, Cambodia. Spiking fuel and fertiliser costs are rattling major rice-growing regions. Photo: EPA-EFE

Video | Inside a scam centre on the Cambodia-Thailand border

The town-sized O’Smach Resort complex, which once housed 29 scam companies, occupies roughly 80 hectares (197 acres).

10 Apr 2026 - 7:12PM

Thailand seizes US$260 million from scammers in ‘decisive’ crackdown

The latest seizure includes cash, cars and bank deposits, bringing the total value of assets confiscated to more US$620 million.

10 Apr 2026 - 7:20PMvideocam

Southeast Asia forced-labour scams

Thai men volunteer for military, driven by prospect of steady salary

Youth unemployment is roughly five times the national average and a stable job is rare for many entering the workforce.

9 Apr 2026 - 10:15AM

A soldier puts a hat on an enlisted man during the Thai military conscription drawing in Bangkok on Tuesday. Photo: AFP

Banking & finance

As France pulls gold from the US, how can China become the next global gold hub?

Federal Reserve is no longer seen as a ‘safe’ place for nations to store gold as Trump’s unpredictability spooks the world’s central banks.

8 Apr 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Why Cambodia’s new law may do little to combat its scam centres

Analysts warn the lack of provisions addressing the role officials and networks play in enabling scams may limit the law’s effectiveness.

10 Apr 2026 - 7:19PMvideocam

Opinion | To beat Cambodia’s scam gangs, US must work with China – not blame it

Taking down the deeply rooted, well-connected syndicates would require both Washington’s economic leverage and Beijing’s operational efforts.

8 Apr 2026 - 5:30AMvideocam

Oil smugglers in Thailand worsen supply crisis as Anutin warns of tough times

Police are investigating alleged oil hoarding in southern Thailand and reselling to nearby countries, citing ‘abnormal’ vessel movements.

6 Apr 2026 - 8:04PMvideocam

A Thai farmer refuels diesel into an oil drum at a gas station in Ayutthaya province on Wednesday. Thai farmers are struggling with shortages of diesel, fertiliser and insecticides amid the ongoing Iran war. Photo: EPA

Cambodia’s high-stakes war on online scam compounds

Cambodia has vowed to stamp out the scam compounds on its soil by month’s end – but perpetrators remain drawn to the potential for huge profits.

4 Apr 2026 - 6:22AMvideocam

How Asean’s neutral stance in Iran war protects its energy security

Granting Southeast Asian vessels safe passage through the strait allows Iran to come across as a diplomatic good guy, analysts say.

2 Apr 2026 - 3:19PMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

Cambodia’s scam industry exodus, Jollibee’s diaspora effect: 7 Asia highlights

From Cambodia’s scam industry exodus to Jollibee’s meaning to overseas Filipinos, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

31 Mar 2026 - 1:06PM

Jollibee employees attend to customers at an outlet in Manila in 2015. Photo: AFP

Indonesia

A US$19 billion scam industry is fleeing Cambodia. Where will it end up?

Scam bosses and their multibillion-dollar crime networks are fleeing to Myanmar, Laos and Thailand ahead of an April deadline.

29 Mar 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

A Thai soldier shines a torch into a room disguised as a Chinese police station inside an abandoned scam centre on the Thai-Cambodian border on March 12. Photo: AFP

Singapore

Singapore seizes record Asian pangolin scales disguised as ‘dried fish skin’

The scales – estimated to be from more than 2,200 pangolins – were found after officials intercepted an inbound truck carrying sea cargo.

28 Mar 2026 - 5:59PM

US, Israel war on Iran

‘Getting worse each day’: why Southeast Asia is vulnerable to the fuel crisis

From Laos to Thailand, long queues are forming at petrol stations while residents are reeling from surging fuel prices.

23 Mar 2026 - 9:02PMvideocam

Anutin takes charge in Thailand as Mideast chaos pressures economy

Facing economic challenges and border tensions with Cambodia, the prime minister has pledged swift responses to public needs.

19 Mar 2026 - 5:06PMvideocam

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul reacts at parliament in Bangkok on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Singapore

Cambodia boosts Singapore and Malaysia fuel imports to survive energy crisis

Energy Minister Keo Rottanak says ‘an Asean power grid is the way to go’ as Vietnam and China restrict exports to Phnom Penh.

19 Mar 2026 - 12:57PMvideocam

Opinion | Tariffs grab headlines, but non-tariff barriers decide winners in Asean

Trump’s flashy tariffs get the attention, but non-tariff barriers are what truly kill competition and leave firms and consumers worse off.

19 Mar 2026 - 5:50AMvideocam

Hong Kong tourism

Hong Kong Tourism Board to woo overnight big spenders, diversify visitor mix

Board executive director Anthony Lau says 75 per cent of its resources will go towards overseas markets.

18 Mar 2026 - 9:44PM

Hong Kong will bring down the curtain on the two-decade-old “A Symphony of Lights”. Photo: Sam Tsang

New US trade offensive threatens to test Asean ties

The trade probes may compel Southeast Asia to continue diversifying away from the US, with analysts predicting recent deals could unravel.

18 Mar 2026 - 6:28PM

Southeast Asia’s trade chiefs pose for a group photo during the Asean Economic Ministers’ Retreat in Manila, the Philippines, last week. Photo: EPA

Thailand to build fence along parts of Cambodian border for ‘peace of mind’

The military plans to add permanent walls and electronic fences equipped with sensors and CCTV cameras to the 1.3km barrier.

17 Mar 2026 - 7:55PM

Video | Cambodia police raid AI-driven scam centre targeting Europe

Cambodia arrested 65 suspects in a Phnom Penh raid on an alleged AI-powered scam centre that targeted European victims with live video calls.

3 Apr 2026 - 3:56PM

Asia travel

Beyond Angkor Wat’s allure: discovering Cambodia’s hidden gems

From authentic Khmer dining and luxe temple living at Anantara Angkor Resort, to Phnom Penh’s vibrant streets, riverside strolls and artisanal souvenirs.

12 Mar 2026 - 12:00PM

A view of the pool at Anantara Angkor Resort. Photo: Handout

150,000 Meta accounts shut down in Southeast Asian scam centre crackdown

Meta has also launched protective tools such as Facebook and WhatsApp alerts for suspicious friend requests and activities.

12 Mar 2026 - 8:17PMvideocam

Workstations used by scam operators are seen after a police raid in Phnom Penh on Wednesday. Photo: EPA

United States

US launches trade probe into China and EU in bid to revive Trump tariffs

The Section 301 investigations could lead to another set of import taxes to replace those struck down by the Supreme Court.

12 Mar 2026 - 7:46AM