With Indonesia and Vietnam cutting interest rates in the past two months and Thailand fending off pressure to do the same, the Philippines is emerging as the region’s lone candidate for a rate increase this year.While all economists surveyed by Bloomberg predict Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (the Central Bank of the Philippines) will hold its benchmark rate at a record-low of three percent on Thursday, a separate poll showed almost half forecast an increase by the fourth quarter.

Southeast Asia’s medical tourism industry has experienced rampant growth in the recent years driven by quality healthcare delivery services, competitive rates and reputable medical expertise. Among the popular destinations in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) for medical tourism are Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia.

A public rift between Thailand’s central bank and government on interest rates shows just how much of a dilemma the baht has become for the economy.The Finance Ministry is pushing the Bank of Thailand to cut interest rates to stimulate growth, in light of the strength of the currency and low inflation.

India is poised to emerge as an economic superpower, driven in part by its young population, while China and the Asian Tigers age rapidly, according to Deloitte.The number of people aged 65 and over in Asia will climb from 365 million today to more than half a billion in 2027, accounting for 60 percent of that age group globally by 2030, Deloitte said in a report Monday.

We often hear that "cash is king". While it is undeniable that cash has been the preferred mode of payment in the past, the 21st century has introduced an array of cashless payment methods – also known as e-payment – to consumers all over the world. All across the globe, people are divided into those who prefer the more conventional mode of payment as others take a more progressive approach by supporting cashless transactions.

In recent years, online shopping has been gaining traction in the Southeast Asian region as consumers become more tech-savvy. The growing smartphone and internet penetration rate in the region has driven the rise of digital shoppers. Virtual stores are becoming more popular particularly amongst youngsters who prefer to shop online due to its affordability, variety and convenience.

Halimah Yacob, 63, will become Singapore’s first female president when she is sworn in Thursday as the city’s eighth head of state. She was named president-elect as the only eligible candidate this week, after two others were disqualified in an election reserved for minority ethnic Malay candidates.The process sparked criticism on social media that Singaporeans were deprived of the opportunity to choose their president and that it diminished Halimah’s achievement.

Across much of Asia, foreign currency reserves have never been stronger.India’s foreign currency reserves are set to hit a new high of 400 billion dollars, enough to cover a year of imports, while holdings of international currencies in South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia are all at record levels.

The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Nations) market – which combines Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Lao, Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore and Brunei – is one of the world’s fastest growing markets that is going through rapid urbanisation over recent years.

The RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) is a proposed FTA (free trade agreement) that was mooted in 2012 between the 10 member states of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and six other economies which the region has existing FTAs with: China, India, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and Japan.