Singapore firms expanding beyond Southeast Asia can potentially do well in fast-developing Africa: EnterpriseSG

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“Looking at their homes, they’re thinking about how to upgrade their kitchen, and improve their homes. So that results in them buying more of our products,” said Mr Dave Choy, director of Newmatic. 

“Also, the competition in the market during the (pandemic), most of them shut down because they had difficulties with supply chains. Most of them were supplied from Europe, so they had difficulties in the supply chain, whereas we were supplied from Asia. 

“So we were very lucky. In fact, we grew several folds during the three years of the pandemic.”

SHARING A SLICE OF THE AFRICAN PIE

Cleaning technology firm Speco, which has been networking with businesses there, said it has seen enthusiasm for its product, which sanitises an area within minutes and also repels mosquitoes. 

“Technology is new to them. Prices are still quite okay, they are able to afford our segment of pricing and they see a potential,” said Mr Benjamin Chua, founder and chief executive officer of Speco. 

“So over these past five days of conversations, we have established quite a number of leads, hopefully qualified ones that can help us to expand our footprint into this side of the world.”

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As Laos develops, can it make space for wild elephants?

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Mae Sengchan and Mae Kham meandered down the banks of the Mekong River in Laos, munching on bunches of bananas and piles of sugarcane.

In their mid-to-late-fifties, the rescued pair of endangered Asian elephants are far past their logging days. The two are now in the care of the Mandalao Elephant Conservation centre, a “friendly interactive tourism” company that is trying to balance business and conservation.

“These elephants are a member of my family. At times they are like my daughters, other times like my wife,” said Yot Jouttiphong, a mahout, an elephant handler or caretaker, for Mandalao just outside Luang Prabang in northern Laos. He’s worked with the species for more than two decades but has concerns for their future. 

“Elephants in Laos are getting fewer and fewer,” he said. “I hope we can find a good solution to increase the number of elephants.”

Modern Laos is built on the ancient kingdom of LanXang, which translates to “Land of a million elephants”. But much has changed since then. The most recent statistics, which are more than a decade old, estimate fewer than 1,000 elephants remain in the Laos wild with approximately 500 more in captivity.

Elephant entertainment in Laos reopened this year, just a few months after the country lifted all pandemic restrictions. Animal welfare experts worry the expected resurgence of visitors may add pressure to the country’s captive elephant business, which could in turn affect the survival of wild herds – a growing concern in Southeast Asia, where the massive animals run the risk of becoming simply a tourist commodity.

Asian elephants are considered “endangered” on the Red List of Threatened Species, which lists a web of pressures from deforestation and habitat loss to poaching for ivory.

“Conservationists can’t control government land clearings … which are out of our control,” said Ingrid Suter, co-founder of Asian Captive Elephant Standards, an animal welfare advocacy group. “That’s why the wild population has been shrinking for decades.”

The historic range of the species spanned the entire continent, according to a WWF report, which found that Asian elephants today are restricted to just 15% of that range. Half of the 100,000-strong wild elephant population in Asia at the start of the 20th century is reportedly gone.

“There is nothing wrong with riding an elephant if it is done properly. I am not going to tell a culture what they can and can’t do with their cultural traditions,” said Suter “But nobody wants an elephant hurt for tourism, for human gain. Things need updating and tweaking in modern times.”

‘The wild is not a safe place for elephants’

The quaint streets of Luang Prabang flowed with a single jostling crowd as visitors ran to keep up with the Lao New Year elephant parade on 13 April. Some tourists dashed to the front of the procession for selfies, while many more scrambled onto sidewalks to feed the trio of elephants being ridden through the historic town.

Tourists rush ahead of the new year elephant procession in the historic town of Luang Prabang, one of the largest tourism magnets in Laos, to take pictures and selfies with the animals. Photo: Anton L. Delgado for Southeast Asia Globe and Mekong Eye.

Celebrations for Buddhist New Year, known in Laos as pi mai, were in full swing for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic. This brought the return of the elephant parade, an annual event that can walk a tightrope between celebration and conservation.

“I live in Luang Prabang but I never come for the elephant parade. This time I did and I was a parade member. I am so happy to see many people here. It means that Luang Prabang tourism lives again,” said Ting Thammavong, wearing a traditional Lao outfit as crowds began to disperse after the event.

Benedikt Göller, the chief operating officer of Mandalao, was less enthusiastic about the parade.

“I don’t want to say anything negative about cultural events,” said Göller the day after, pausing before answering as he navigated the potholed road to the elephant centre.

Thousands of visitors and locals fill the streets of Luang Prabang to take part in the Lao New Year elephant parade. Photo: Anton L. Delgado for Southeast Asia Globe and Mekong Eye.

Mandalao offers visitors casual elephant interactions such as forest walks, avoiding more debated rides on the giant animals or other debated practices. 

“People are really happy nowadays to support a conservation project by just observing elephants in their natural habitat,” said Göller, explaining the centre’s elephants are rescues from work camps. “If we can get more guests, it means we potentially have more funds to do more conservation.”

Nine of Mandalao’s 10 rescued elephants are older females – including Mae Sengchan and Mae Kham – who can’t be as easily released into the wild.

Mae Sengchan, a 58-year-old rescued Asian elephant, munches on a bunch of bananas in a forest reservation managed by Mandalao in Luang Prabang, Laos. Photo by Anton L. Delgado for Southeast Asia Globe and Mekong Eye.

The decline of wild herds is creating an elephant-sized hole in forest ecosystems across Southeast Asia, according to Prasop Tipprasert, project director for Mandalo. Elephants are indicators of a healthy forest, he explained, “if your environment is good enough to support elephant life, any life can stay.”

“Elephants are one of the keys of a balanced ecosystem,” he said. Laughing, he called elephants the “best seed dispersers” because of how much they eat and defecate.

Prasop is often referred to as the “elephant master” because of his experiences in the field that date back to 1989, when he co-founded the Thai Elephant Conservation Center.  A firm advocate of transboundary conservation, he sees the forests of Laos as an elephant oasis, calling the country “the best place in the world” for reintroductions.

“I had to come to my Lao friends to help save Lao elephants because when Lao elephants are healthy, Thai elephants are saved,” said Prasop.

Mae Kham, a 53-year-old Asian elephant, bathes in the Mekong River outside of Luang Prabang in Laos. Photo: Anton L. Delgado for Southeast Asia Globe and Mekong Eye.
Yot Jouttiphong, an elephant mahout for Mandalao, laughs as his charge, Mae Kham, a 58-year-old Asian elephant, eagerly reaches out for a bunch of bananas. Photo: Anton L. Delgado for Southeast Asia Globe and Mekong Eye.

With wild herds so decimated in Laos and across Southeast Asia, Suter believes captive populations will play a larger and larger role in saving the species.

“The wild is not a safe place for elephants. You can’t rely on wild elephants to prop up the entire region’s Asian elephant population,” she said “From an endangered species breeding scenario, you don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

Suter explained captive populations are easier to manage and learn from, especially as with the current lack of funding, capacity and will for governments to track wild herds. Even with hundreds of elephants in captivity in Laos and elsewhere across Southeast Asia, Suter doesn’t know if she’ll ever say that Asian elephants have been saved.

“We are future-proofing Asian elephant populations by having a captive elephant population,” Suter said. “But I don’t think we will stabilise the species within our lifetime.”

Additional reporting by a veteran Lao freelance journalist, who requested not to be named because of livelihood and safety concerns.
This story was produced in collaboration with The Mekong Eye and supported by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network.

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Move Forward faces dissolution threat over royal insult law

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FILE PHOTO: Activist lawyer Theerayuth Suwankaesorn in 2018 (Bangkok Post photo)
FILE PHOTO: Activist lawyer Theerayuth Suwankaesorn in 2018 (Bangkok Post photo)

An activist lawyer filed a complaint against Move Forward, the party that won last week’s general election, over its vow to amend the Thailand’s royal defamation law, the latest sign that the process of forming a new government could get protracted.

Eight days after Move Forward led pro-democracy groups in a historic victory in the May 14 election, lawyer Theerayuth Suwankaesorn submitted his complaint to the Election Commission.

He urged the agency to seek a ruling from the Constitutional Court on whether Move Forward’s call to amend the lese majeste or the royal insult law, which punishes criticisms against the king and other members of the royal family, undermines the monarchy.

“The party’s plan could erode, damage, or undermine the key national institution,” Mr Theerayuth — who previously filed a complaint against the leaders of Future Forward, the party that was a predecessor to Move Forward — told reporters on Monday. A ruling against the party could result in its dissolution, he said.

The complaint, which has not been formally accepted by the Election Commission, comes hours before Move Forward’s leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, and the heads of seven other parties are scheduled to sign an agreement to push ahead with efforts to form a government following the May 14 vote.

Move Forward’s pledge to push for amendments to the lese majeste law, also known as Article 112, has emerged as a key dividing line between different political parties as it tries to cobble together a governing majority with a coalition of eight parties that won 313 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives.

While pro-democracy parties won the election, they face built-in obstacles as the constitution — approved following a military coup in 2014 — allows the unelected 250-member Senate to vote alongside the lower house to pick a new leader. That means Mr Pita’s coalition still falls short of the 376 votes he needs in parliament to become prime minister without counting on Senate support.

Mr Pita’s bid to take the top job has faced opposition from many members of the Senate, stacked with allies of the pro-military establishment of caretaker Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and other conservative parties.

The Bhumjaithai Party, which finished third with 70 seats, already ruled out support for Mr Pita as prime minister, saying it won’t back a candidate from a party planning to amend Article 112. The conservative Democrat Party has not begun a discussion on its stance on Pita’s bid to become prime minister but it disagrees with amending the law against royal insults, party spokesman Ramate Rattanachaweng said Monday. 

Under the law, the Election Commission has 60 days after the vote to release official election results and certify 95% of the lower house seats. The first session of the new parliament must then take place within 15 days. That pushes the timeline to late July. 

Move Forward’s secretary-general, Chaithawat Tulathon, said over the weekend that he was confident the party could win over some senators, adding that an agreement to be signed by the parties in a briefing scheduled at 4.30pm local time on Monday will sway members of the Senate to vote for Pita.

The push to directly change laws affecting the monarchy breaks a longstanding taboo in Thailand, where in years past even the suggestion of disloyalty to the palace has been grounds for the military to stage a coup, leading to successive bouts of deadly street protests that have held back Southeast Asia’s second-biggest economy. 

While there are different views within Mr Pita’s coalition, Move Forward’s plan to amend the law isn’t a deal breaker, deputy party leader Sirikanya Tansakul told local media over the weekend. Support for the party’s plan to amend Article 112 won’t be a criteria for joining its coalition, and Move Forward will keep its word to propose the amendment for discussion in parliament, she said.

Earlier this month, another lawyer lodged a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that Mr Pita had violated election rules by holding shares in a defunct media company. Mr Pita has said he’s not worried about the allegation, which could see him disqualified as a member of parliament, as the shares are part of an estate that he manages and he doesn’t directly own them.

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Thai jobless rate lowest in 3 years in Q1 as tourism rebounds

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BANGKOK: Thailand’s unemployment rate hit a three-year low in the first quarter, the state planning agency said on Monday (May 22), declining to 1.05 per cent from 1.15 per cent in the last three months of 2022 as recovery in the crucial tourism industry strengthened. Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy grew faster thanContinue Reading

Lessons in hedging from Southeast Asia

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China and the US are ratcheting up their pressure on Southeast Asian countries to choose between them for security in their struggle for regional hegemony. Some have already done so while others continue to hedge, some successfully and some not so much.

Hedging in international relations can be defined “as insurance-seeking behavior, with three attributes: not taking sides; pursuing opposite, mutually counteracting measures; diversifying; and cultivating a fallback position.” However, states “hedge in different forms and to different degrees” for different structural and domestic reasons. A major domestic factor is the leanings of the “ruling elites.” 

Cambodia, Laos and apparently Myanmar have already chosen China.  

Thailand’s recent predilections seem to favor China, although it is technically a US ally. But in May 1975, the Thai government asked the US to remove all of its combat forces (27,000 troops, 300 aircraft). Nevertheless it still allows the US to use its U-Tapao air base and just hosted a port visit by the USS Nimitz aircraft-carrier strike group. 

Singapore claims to be neutral and is trying to demonstrate that by undertaking military exercises with China, improving the security of the strategic Malacca Strait. But its defense memoranda and “warm and friendly defense relations” with the US that include hosting of rotating US military forces and assets indicate its true leanings.

Indeed, this probably puts Singapore in the US camp as far as China is concerned. It and Malaysia are members of the Five Powers Defense Arrangement with US allies Australia and the UK. 

Malaysia also hosts Australian air forces at Butterworth that surveil China’s defense assets in and adjacent to the South China Sea and it allows US spy flights to refuel on its territory. Nevertheless, Malaysia is still trying to hedge.  

Indonesia has so far been able to maintain its neutrality between the two, notably refusing to host US spy planes. 

But the models for worst and best “hedging” are the Philippines and Vietnam. 

Marcos sides with US – sort of

Filipino elite anti-China hawks and Americanophiles (Amboys) have persuaded the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to abandon previous president Rodrigo Duterte’s policy of balancing between the two and to side with the US.

It has strengthened its military relationship with its US ally with massive joint exercises in the South China Sea, agreement in principle to undertake joint patrols there, share real-time intelligence on China, and extend the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) under its alliance with the US.

To the five places for US military access under EDCA, it has added four new ones. Several of the nine have ready access to the South China Sea, and two recent ones are in northern Luzon, one only 400 kilometers from China-threatened Taiwan. China is concerned that they may be used for intelligence collection and preparation for a conflict with it.

In seemingly desperate attempts to mollify an angry Beijing, Manila has qualified the arrangement. Enrique Manalo, secretary of foreign affairs, told a Senate hearing that the “Philippines will not be allowing the US to stockpile weapons for use in operations in Taiwan at sites American troops have access to under EDCA.” 

Marcos was equally blunt. He said the US cannot use the places for “offensive action” against any country.

Moreover, “the Philippines will not allow US troops to refuel, repair and reload at EDCA places.” Of course it will be difficult to discern if weapons are intended to be used in the defense of Taiwan. However, the ban on refueling, repairing and reloading at EDCA places undermines their strategic usefulness for the US vis-à-vis China and will likely be lifted on a case-by-case basis.

On the heels of a visit to Manila by China’s new foreign minister, Qin Gang, President Marcos went to Washington to discuss with President Joe Biden and others the “need to tone down the rhetoric. The discussion is heating up. Some harsh words are being exchanged and we are worried.” 

He added: “We will not allow the Philippines to be used as a staging post for any kind of military action.” This blatant attempt to level the seesaw is an indication that the Philippines miscalculated in enhancing its embrace of the US. 

The choice of the US has serious potential negative consequences for the Philippines. China may step up its aggressive behavior against the Philippines to set an example for others that might so blatantly chose the US.  Indeed, it may even increase its pressure on the remaining hedgers to compensate for the loss of the Philippines.

Moreover, it may retaliate economically, something the Philippines and the Marcos administration can ill afford. Internal pressure and divisions may grow between pro-China and pro-US factions, creating political turmoil that may involve US clandestine agencies operating behind the scenes, as they have before. 

From the example of the Philippines, other Southeast Asian countries may now better understand the potential negative consequences of choosing and thus strengthen their hedging. They do not want to get dragged into a no-win US-China conundrum. 

Vietnam guided by history

The remaining hedgers should also take a lesson from Vietnam’s successful strategy and actions. Vietnam has so far skillfully hedged its security between China and the US without overtly angering or siding with either big power. This is probably based on its history of suffering at the hands of great powers.

The Vietnam Civil War was partly a result of a great-power ideological struggle. The US viewed Vietnam as a “domino” in its theory that China’s communist revolution would spread to Southeast Asia and these small countries would follow suit like dominoes.

Vietnam is technically an ally of Russia and a comprehensive strategic partner with China and has dabbled in military cooperation with the US (although in recent years it has  declined port visits by US carrier strike groups). But it has also stood up to China’s attempts to intimidate it from maintaining its maritime claims.

It has declared and maintained a “four-nos” policy: no military alliances, no siding with one country to counteract the other, no foreign military bases, and no force or threat of use of force in international relations. This has proved to be a foundation of its hedging and a shield from getting dragged into big-power military conflict.

The political arena in Southeast Asia has become a test tube of experiences in hedging and will continue to provide many lessons to other countries in the region and beyond. If others learn from the experiences of the Philippines and Vietnam, they may yet be spared from involvement in a catastrophic big-power war from which they can only lose.

An edited version of this article appeared in the South China Morning Post.

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10m foreign tourists since January: govt

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Number of flights from China rising

Thailand has welcomed almost 10 million foreign tourists since January, generating about 391 billion baht in revenue. The government expects the number of Chinese tourists to reach seven million this year.

Traisulee Taisaranakul, deputy government spokeswoman, said yesterday that 9.47 million foreign tourists visited Thailand from January to May 15, mainly from East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

The government has ordered affiliated agencies to enhance support for incoming tourists, particularly Chinese visitors, to boost tourism growth.

According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thailand expects to see over 5.3 million Chinese tourists visiting the country. The figure might even reach seven million if supported by other tourism incentives, Ms Traisulee added.

Aeronautical Radio of Thailand (Aerothai) also said there were 12,805 flights from China to Thailand during October 2022 to April, 2023, an increase of 98% compared to the same period the former year.

Chinese tourist numbers rose after China’s announcement on Feb 6 that it would allow international travel via travel agencies.

Aerothai anticipates an increase in the number of flights from China until September this year. It estimates 5,330 flights in May, 6,090 flights in June, 7,150 flights in July, 7,460 flights in August and 7,340 flights in September.

The total estimated number of Chinese flights coming to Thailand during the 2023 fiscal year, from October last year to September this year, is 46,175, said Ms Traisulee.

Meanwhile, the Economics Tourism and Sports Division of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports said there were 415,309 foreign tourists visiting Thailand during May 8-14, or almost 59,329 people per day.

Most are from Southeast Asia, East Asia and South Asia. The top-five international tourists arriving in Thailand by nationality are Malaysians, Chinese, Indians, Lao and South Koreans, making up to 47.5% of all international tourists.

The division said that even though Thailand is entering its low season and the number of tourists is expected to fall gradually, there are many incentives to attract foreign tourists.

Nonetheless, Thailand’s tourism also is affected by external factors including the world economy, which is facing negative pressure from the US debt ceiling talks, high inflation and the Russian-Ukrainian War, said the division.

Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said Thailand’s tourism will slow down in the latter half of the year.

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Korea launches Bangkok charm offensive

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Incheon Metropolitan City and Incheon Tourism Organisation on Friday hosted their first roadshow in the kingdom to boost trade and tourism.

The event was titled “the Incheon Soft Power Thailand Roadshow 2023” and featured a B2B talk between 50 Thai and 21 Incheon tourism-related businesses at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel and a concert featuring K-pop acts alongside traditional performances on the ground floor of Samyan Mitrtown.

Baig Hyeon, president of the Incheon Tourism Organisation, said the roadshow aimed to promote Incheon as a destination for Thai travellers. Thailand was chosen by the Korean government to debut a series of planned events across Southeast Asia.

“Thailand is a hub for Korean culture enthusiasts in this region, and with the expansion of Korean cultural products across the world, this roadshow will help to promote Korea to the rest of the world,” he said.

He said Incheon also has its strengths in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (Mice) industry and is also known as a medical hub equipped with world-class medical facilities and a special centre for certain diseases. “Currently, there are 93 medical places and 59 health and wellness organisations in Incheon. This year, we plan to make a proactively promote Incheon’s medical expertise,” he added.

Incheon Metropolitan City Deputy Mayor Lee Haeng-sook said Incheon is in a strategic location where international facilities such as Incheon International Airport are located.

The city is also enriched with a long history, as well as playing host to the Asian Games 2014 and the recent 56th Asian Development Bank Annual Meeting from May 2–5. Incheon is highly experienced in hosting major world events. As Korea was the 2025 Apec host, she said Incheon Metropolitan City was currently preparing the city to be voted as the hosting venue.

“Incheon already has global standard infrastructure, which will make transport and living much easier. Compared to other cities, our international airport and ports, world-class national convention hall named Songdo Convensia, and large resorts, we are ready to serve guests around the world,” she said.

Thai tourist numbers are rising again, said Ms Lee. During the first quarter, 97,049 Thais visited, which surpasses the total number of Thai visitors before the pandemic in 2019 at 89,400. The roadshow in the region will bring more tourists and investment to Incheon and to South Korea, she said.

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Political ups-and-downs meet environmental crisis

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Hello, Globe readers,

It was not a boring week here in Southeast Asia. With the unexpected victory of the progressive opposition in Thailand, record-breaking heat waves battered the region along with a deadly cyclone in Myanmar. From all that to the closing ceremony of the Southeast Asian Games, the Globe had a full reporting week. 

On Sunday, as Thailand was sorting out the early election results, which saw the opposition Move Forward Party scoring a major win at the polls, a deadly cyclone struck land from the Bay of Bengal. The storm destroyed thousands of shelters and villages in Bangladesh’s massive Rohingya refugee camps and caused hundreds of deaths in the western Myanmar state of Rakhine. 

In the meantime, the entire region was metaphorically melting down under the scorching sun. Not the ideal conditions for athletes competing in the last days of the SEA Games here in Phnom Penh, but they persevered and made it to the closing ceremony on Wednesday.

While most of mainland Southeast Asia baked in the end-of-dry-season heat, Malaysia and Indonesia saw a new post-Ramadan outbreak of Covid-19. Experts said the new Omicron sub-variants have been largely responsible for this surge of infections.

On a lighter note, I would invite you all to check out the latest season of the web series Cambodian Eats!, which was published last week. It’s a production of our sister publication Focus – Ready for Tomorrow that takes viewers across the Kingdom to visit new destinations, taste local dishes and explore the connection between the communities, ecosystems and food. 

Hit the link to watch the first episode of this new season, where we go to Takeo to sample some famous freshwater prawns.

That’s all for this week. May you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the features!

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US officials warn over bird flu risk

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned people to stay away from wild birds and sick or dying poultry to limit the spread of the bird flu virus.

The warning was made during a virtual press briefing that was part of a Southeast Asia Regional Influenza Workshop hosted by the CDC and Thailand’s Public Health Ministry on Thursday.

Speaking at the briefing were Dr John MacArthur, Director of the CDC Southeast Asia Regional Office, and Dr Bill Davis, Regional Influenza Programme Director of CDC Thailand.

Dr Davis advised people to be especially careful about unprotected contact with sick or dying poultry and to avoid contact with wild birds as such animals could be infected with the virus even if they do not look sick.

“I think what we have seen based on the limited number of human cases that we have responded to and have investigated over the last two decades is that really, one of the really high risks is if you have a sick or dead chicken and the family decides or a person decides to slaughter it and prepare it for cooking. Slaughtering a chicken is an extremely high-risk event for H5N1 transmission,” he said.

Dr Davis said the CDC had seen an increase in cases over the past 20 or so years in poultry and wild birds in Asia, Europe and more recently in North and South America as well as Southeast Asia.

However, the CDC has seen no changes in the virus’ genetic sequencing that would make it more likely to infect humans or be able to spread from human to human.

“I think the risk we’re talking about with human infections comes from the fact that there are a lot more birds infected with H5N1, and so there’s more exposure between humans and infected birds,” Dr Davis said.

“So this is probably why we’ve seen a few more cases in Southeast Asia than in recent years,” he said.

Dr Davis said there are H5N1 vaccines for poultry, and it was up to different countries’ policies whether or not they should implement them. There are no vaccines for humans for H5N1, but research is being carried out.

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