Bangkok (VNA) – The Tha🌄i Ministry of Tourism and Sports has reported that the country welcomed approximately 16.61 million international tou🤪rist arrivals from January 1 to June 29, 2025, marking a 4.56% decrease compared to the same period last year.
Malaysia was the largest source country with 2.29 million visitors, followed by China with 2.25 million.
Last week, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) cut its forecast for foreign tourist arrivals this year to 35 million from 37.5 million. Thailand welcomed a record of nearly 40 million visitors in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thailand's economy in May softened from the previous month following a slowdown in the tourism sector and a decline in manufacturing production, which offset the surge in exports, the central bank said on June 30.
Manufacturing production declined in May from April, attributed to a prior inventory replenishment and the temporary closure of an oil refinery for maintenance, it said.
Exports, a key driver of the economy, rose sharply, led by electronics exports and driven by increasing global demand as well as an acceleration of shipments during the tariff grace period, it said.
Thailand posted a current account deficit of 0.3 billion USD in May, the BoT said.
Private investment in May dropped 0.6% from the previous month but private consumption rose 0.2%, supported by a continued surge in consumption of durables, it said./.
The package, endorsed on June 24, comprises 481 projects designed to boost GDP by an additional 0.4% and generate temporary employment for about 7.4 million people nationwide.
Under the new regulations, only pedestrians and users of personal mobility aids (PMAs), such as electric wheelchairs, are allowed on pedestrian-only paths, which are marked with the words “pedestrians only.” Cycling paths, by contrast, are painted red.
The two-tier local government model will serve as a key driver for Vietnam’s green economic development and enhanced governance capacity amid the Fourth Industrial Revolution and deep international integration, according to Prensa Latina.
The Indonesia Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) from S&P Global, released on July 1, dropped to a reading of 46.9 in June from 47.4 in May, indicating a further deterioration in the health of goods-producing industries.
From July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2026, the new tariff in Malaysia aims to boost electricity costs by 10-14% before surcharges for major consumers such as data centres.
Indonesia plays an important role in the ASEAN digital ecosystem, with a population of 280 million people, or around 40% of the ASEAN population, and makes a substantial contribution to the region's digital economy.
Malaysia is focusing on seamless accessibility, improved infrastructure, and sustainability-driven experiences that meet the changing preferences of modern travellers, according to Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing.
Phuket Eye, part of the Phuket Model initiative, is a cooperative project that safeguards safety, prioritising crime suppression, tourist safety inspection, and traffic management.
Malaysia’s consistent approach of diversifying into new markets has allowed the country to stay competitive and resilient against external pressures, said an official of the Malaysian Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry.
Indonesia will establish the National Cyber and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force to strengthen national digital resilience and uphold human rights.
Speaking at the Indonesian Police's 79th-anniversary ceremony at the National Monument (Monas) Square on July 1, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto underscored that police must consistently side with the people and strive to understand their suffering.
In this current context, investment will need to grow at a minimum annual rate of 5.9% to help reach the Indonesian government’s growth targets. Investment currently contributes around 30% of Indonesia’s gross domestic product (GDP).
RadioMundial, a key state-run broadcaster representing the voice of the Venezuelan government and people, aired a detailed segment titled the two-tier local administration: a historic turning point for the people.
ACMMC-12 took place against a backdrop of growing regional security and political challenges, highlighting the need for multilateral cooperation across all fields, including military healthcare.
Indonesia and Malaysia have the same role and goals in pushing for science and technology development within a collaborative framework and exchange information so as to manifest self-sufficiency at both national and regional levels.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi called for the upcoming ASEAN Cybersecurity Cooperation Strategy to prioritise real-time collaboration among member states in areas such as incident response, digital forensics, secure data sharing, and policy harmonisation.
In 2024, scam victims in Singapore lost 1.1 billion USD, a record high in a single year. The police also saw the highest number of scam reports, with 51,501 cases compared with 46,563 in the previous year.
Malaysian Inland Revenue Board (IRB) deputy chief executive officer (Tax Operations) Shaharrudy Othman said approximately 55,000 taxpayers are expected to be onboarded in this phase, and expressed confidence that the take-up rate would mirror previous phases.
