Economy

Pressures on Indonesia’s current account came to a head in May 2013 as portfolio investments reversed their flow and began leaving the country. Authorities have reacted to curb further growth in the deficit. With Bank Indonesia (BI) responsible for monetary tightening, the government has followed with a series of measures to balance the trade...

While the Republic of Indonesia is less than seven decades old in its current form, the South-east Asian nation of more than 17,500 islands has had a much longer history under other names. In fact, the name “Indonesia” was first used in 1850 by British anthropologist James Richardson Logan as he referred to the extensive group of islands widely...

Indonesia continues to be the dominant nation in South-east Asia both politically and economically. Its participation within ASEAN will likely determine the shape of regional integration, with the introduction of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at the end of 2015 looming as the next major milestone.

With the year ahead set to see the much-anticipated election of a new president and new national and regional legislatures, 2014 will likely be a time of great political activity in Indonesia. Some 15 parties (three just local to Aceh) will contest for the votes of approximately 175m potential voters, 67m of whom will be casting a ballot for the...

Thai cuisine is famous and popular the world over, and for many visitors a main highlight of any trip to the kingdom is the ability to sample Thai cooking on its home soil. While very few inbound visitors hailing from international cities do not have access to a Thai restaurant in their home country, there is still something unique and special...

ETIQUETTE: The kingdom of Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist country, with Muslim and Christian minorities. Since the 1960s, the country has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and as a result caters to visitors from different cultures. In business settings it is common to...