ASEAN Express News July 7, 2026

ASEAN Financial Special Report (300 articles in total)

Embrace the New Southbound Policy and look towards ASEAN economic trends. CNA's "Southeast Asia Financial Information Network" selects multiple financial headlines from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and other countries daily. Whether it's new government policies, industry trends, or investment opportunities, we provide you with timely key information to understand the market and seize business opportunities.

Vietnam: Hanoi City Bus Chip Cards to be Launched Soon

(CNA Taipei, July 7) Hanoi City's first batch of bus chip cards will be launched soon, with online registration opening immediately and new cards to be issued in late July.

The bus chip cards are managed by the Hanoi City Transport Management and Operation Center (Tramoc). Online registration officially opened on July 6. Physical cards are scheduled to be distributed between July 26 and July 31 after registration.

Currently, citizens holding the old version of non-chip bus cards do not need to replace them immediately; the old cards can still be used normally until the end of December 2026.

Laos: Service Sector Drives Recovery, Laos' Economic Growth at 5% in First Half

(CNA Taipei, July 7) The Lao government announced today that the economic growth rate for the first half of 2026 reached 5%, higher than the 4.8% in the same period last year. Specifically, GDP grew by 5.5% in the first quarter and slowed to 4.6% in the second quarter. Calculated at current prices, the GDP for the first half was approximately 199,987 billion Kip, reaching 48% of the annual target.

The government stated that the service sector grew by 5.3%, remaining the largest driver of economic growth. Tourism, catering, transportation, and wholesale and retail sectors performed strongly, benefiting from the recovery in business activities and tourism. Industry and agriculture grew by 5.1% and 4.3% respectively. The government anticipates that continued investment in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and infrastructure will support steady economic growth in the second half of 2026.

Singapore: Telecom Operators Integrate AI Services, Mobile Plans Spark Price War

(CNA Taipei, July 7) According to Singapore's "The Straits Times," several telecommunications companies are launching new plans that bundle mobile phone plans with subscriptions to paid artificial intelligence models, with monthly prices as low as $8, igniting a fierce price war.

This emerging retail trend shifts the focus of the telecommunications industry from traditional data traffic packages to "AI value-added services" to attract tech-savvy consumers and younger demographics.

Philippines: Central Bank Expects Economic Rebound in Second Half, May Continue Rate Hikes if Necessary

(CNA Taipei, July 7) The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) stated that curbing inflation remains the central bank's top priority. Despite weak economic growth momentum, the Philippine economy can still withstand another 25 basis point interest rate hike. The BSP expects a significant economic rebound in the second half of this year, with growth potentially reaching at least 4%. It also pointed out that the current inflation rate is around 6%, which is higher than the policy interest rate of 4.75%, making it necessary to maintain a positive real interest rate.

The Philippines' Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2.8% year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, marking the weakest performance since the pandemic in 2021 and falling below the government's annual growth target of 5% to 6%. Analysts believe the central bank's remarks indicate a hawkish monetary policy stance, and further rate hikes cannot be ruled out if inflation remains high. However, future decisions will depend on economic data such as inflation, the peso exchange rate, and economic growth.

Myanmar: Betting on Ancient Temples and Pagodas to Revive Tourism, Aiming for 1.8 Million Visitors

(CNA Taipei, July 7) Myanmar's ancient temples, luxury hotels, and Buddhist sites are gradually regaining vitality as the Myanmar military government anticipates that tourism will be one of the first sectors to show results in economic recovery after this year's general election.

The authorities plan to double the number of foreign tourist arrivals to 1.8 million this year by easing visa regulations and targeting travelers from neighboring China and Thailand, in an effort to revive an industry that has been devastated since the 2021 coup plunged the country into civil war and international isolation.

Malaysia: Medical and Insurance Costs Rise, Medical Inflation to Surge to 3% in 2025

(CNA Taipei, July 7) According to the Malaysian Department of Statistics, due to rising medical service and insurance costs, Malaysia's medical inflation rate is projected to surge from 1.4% in 2024 to 3.0% in 2025.

The first "Malaysia Medical Price Index (HPI) 2025" report released by the Department of Statistics today indicates that the increase in medical inflation is mainly driven by the medical services category, where prices rose by 4.4% in 2025, compared to a mere 0.9% increase in the previous year (2024).

Thailand: June Inflation Drops to 2.42%, Below Market Expectations

(CNA Taipei, July 7) The Thai Ministry of Commerce announced that the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) in June rose by 2.42% compared to the same period last year, down from the previous month's year-on-year increase of 2.79%.

This figure is lower than the 2.79% increase predicted in a Reuters poll but remains within the inflation target range of 1% to 3% set by the Bank of Thailand.

Cambodia: Soaring Oil Prices Fuel Electric Vehicle Boom, Cumulative Registrations Exceed 10,000 in 5 Years

(CNA Taipei, July 7) From 2021 to May 2026, Cambodia has cumulatively registered over 14,000 electric vehicles. The primary reason for this surge in registrations is the continuous rise in international fuel costs due to geopolitical instability in the Middle East, which has driven a trend among locals to switch to electric vehicles.

Data shows that the adoption rate of electric vehicles in Cambodia has significantly accelerated this year, with approximately 3,700 vehicles added between March and May alone. Furthermore, as of May this year, Cambodia has also cumulatively recorded about 4,200 electric motorcycles and 741 electric tricycles, indicating an explosive growth in the market share of green transportation vehicles in the country.

Indonesia: First Quarter Economic Growth at 5.61%, Layoffs in Textile and Electronics Sectors Increase Unemployment

(CNA Taipei, July 7) Indonesia's labor market is facing increasing pressure. Since 2025, several large companies in sectors including textiles, footwear, electronics, digital, manufacturing, and media have announced large-scale layoffs. Despite Indonesia's overall economy maintaining strong expansion, this wave of layoffs continues to spread.

Data shows that after growing by 5.11% in 2025, Indonesia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2026 grew by 5.61% compared to the same period last year. However, statistics from the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower indicate that the number of layoffs has continued to rise over the past three years, increasing from 64,855 affected workers in 2023 to 77,965 in 2024 and 88,519 in 2025. From January to May 2026, another 23,470 workers became unemployed, bringing the cumulative number of layoffs since 2023 to at least 254,809.

※For more information, please contact Section Chief Chang Li-chuan at (02) 2505-1180 ext. 792 or EMAIL: [email protected]

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