ASEAN News Highlights: May 13, 2026

Today's ASEAN highlights cover major economic developments across the region. Vietnam and Laos signed a 5-year tourism cooperation plan, while Vietnam's HAGL Group invested $50 million in a 5,000-hectare coffee plantation in Laos. Singapore urged building career bridges to cope with AI impacts, and Myanmar held seminars promoting AI for enterprise digital transformation. The Philippines' Jollibee saw Q1 net profits plunge 38.8% due to rising costs. Malaysian palm oil prices hit a one-month low amid weak demand. Thailand's central bank maintained its key interest rate at 1.00% amidst Middle East tensions. Cambodia's garment and footwear exports topped $5 billion in the first four months. Meanwhile, the Indonesian Rupiah fell past the 17,500 mark against the US dollar, causing businesses to delay expansion plans and hitting the manufacturing sector hard.