PHUKETWAN recognises the importance of Asean with the Economic Community approaching and marks what's happening around the region with a new column, Asean Today.



foxnews.com Thai authorities unveiled the restored centerpiece of the Erawan Shrine in the latest bid to restore confidence among Bangkok's tourism and business communities almost three weeks after a deadly bombing that left 20 dead.



channelnewsasia.com Indonesia has unexpectedly dumped much-vaunted plans for its first high-speed railway in favor of a slower and cheaper rail option, in a blow to Japan and China who have been fiercely competing to win the construction job.



cnn.com At least 24 people have drowned and dozens are missing after a boat carrying up to 80 people capsized off the coast of western Malaysia. Another 20, all Indonesian citizens, are believed to have been rescued.

freemalaysiatoday.com Despite only making its transition from President Soeharto's authoritarian regime in the mid-1990s, Indonesia has succeeded in turning itself into Asean's most advanced democracy, an opinion editorial in the Jakarta Post says. ''[I]n Southeast Asia, Indonesia is practically the only country that meets democratic standards,'' the Post says proudly, pointing out that ''political turmoil and anti-democratic attitudes have persistently haunted'' most other Asean nations.

Ithemalaysianmailonline.com In his opinion piece in The Jakarta Post, Bawono Kumoro said action must be taken before the political and economic crises in Malaysia explode into a ''general catastrophe'' that will be difficult to mitigate.



bbc.com Four decades since the Vietnam War ended, America is the largest importer of Vietnamese commodities, while the Vietnamese are the eighth largest foreign student community in the US. This weekend's US visit by Vietnam's parliamentary chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung reflects the deepening political ties between these two former enemies over the last decade.



philstar.com The Philippines is third among Asian countries and fifth in the world in the list of countries with negative traffic situation, according to a report. Egypt topped the worst traffic list with a time index of 55.48 minutes followed by Japan (46.98 minutes), Turkey (46.91 minutes) and Russia (46.82 minutes).



bbc.com Since political reforms began in Myanmar, also known as Burma, in 2011, the economy has been growing steadily at more than five percent a year. In Yangon, also known as Rangoon, that change is evident in new buildings, nascent shopping malls and, unfortunately, the traffic.



ft.com Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong faces one of his toughest challenges yet in next week's general election, amid a weakening economy and increasingly vocal opposition to his People's Action Party.



koreaherald.com Nearly 100 experts on tourism gathered in a southern town of Laos to discuss ways to promote the country's eco-friendly tourism, a key to boosting its local economy. The one-day workshop held in Pakse, offered a platform for Lao government officials, travel agencies and professionals to draw ideas to lure more Korean tourists to the landlocked nation in Southeast Asia.



ttrweekly.com Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism says international tourist arrivals to the country, via Thailand's border checkpoints, declined about 10 percent after the the deadly bomb attack at Bangkok's Erawan Shrine. He noted travel via other gateway destinations such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, China and Korea remained steady.



bbc.com Since political reforms began in Myanmar, also known as Burma, in 2011, the economy has been growing steadily at more than five percent a year. In Yangon, also known as Rangoon, that change is evident in new buildings, nascent shopping malls and, unfortunately, the traffic.



malaysia-chronicle.com Brunei-born actor and singer Wu Chun debuted in the industry as a member of the popular Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit in 2005. Due to his popularity and international celebrity status, Wu Chun became the ambassador to the Royal Brunei Airlines and the Brunei Tourism Board. The 35-year-old has been actively promoting tourism to the country.