Thailand, land of golden temples, white-sand beaches, smiling hosts. Or of overcrowded airports, epic traffic jams and littered seashores.Facing a deluge of Chinese tourists that has strained its airports beyond capacity, the Southeast Asian nation is spending billions to upgrade its infrastructure, open up new islands and cities to travelers, and tone down its image of cheap shopping, hotels and sex that underpinned the industry for half a century.

The treacherous Mount Agung in Bali that has been threatening to erupt for the first time since 1963 has finally erupted and spewed steam plume at 5:05pm on Tuesday.The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) said in a statement that the height of the steam reached more than 700 meters from the peak of the mountain.Following this, the statement also said that "the eruption is still ongoing.

Thailand’s economy grew faster than economists estimated last quarter, boosted by strong exports and rising tourist arrivals.Highlights of the GDP report Gross domestic product rose 4.3 percent from a year ago after expanding a revised 3.8 percent in the previous three months, the National Economic and Social Development Board said the median estimate of 19 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was 3.9 percent GDP rose a seasonally adjusted 1 percent in the third quarter compared with the previous

Singapore Airlines said Tuesday second-quarter net profit almost tripled due to passenger growth and improvements in its cargo business, but warned of challenges ahead.

Face-scans or fingerprints will be needed to buy SIM cards in Thailand from next month as the kingdom tries to crack down on electronic fraud and encourage mobile banking.The new biometric system – which follows similar requirements in Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan – will begin on December 15, according to the telecoms regulator. "We're entering the digital age, our money now is linked to mobile services.

Decked out with flashing lights and cartoon characters, with loud music pumping, rickety bicycle rickshaws have become a hit with tourists visiting the historic Malaysian city of Malacca.Once a common sight in many parts of Malaysia, the three-wheelers, known locally as trishaws, were largely phased out as cars became more affordable and took over the country's roads.But in Malacca, a former colonial settlement that is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of Malaysia's top tourist d

Singapore's Changi Airport opened a cutting-edge terminal Tuesday with a fully automated check-in system including facial scanning and computerised baggage drop points, but some passengers struggled with the new technology.Terminal 4, built at a cost of S$985 million (723 million dollars), will have an annual capacity of 16 million people and is aimed at coping with an expected increase in passenger numbers through one of Asia's top travel hubs.It is packed with new technology, mean

Only a few years ago Beyonce and Jay-Z were posing for photos among Myanmar's famed temples, heralding the former junta-run country's rise as one of the hottest new tourist destinations on the map.But that dream is cracking as images of burnt villages and Muslim Rohingya fleeing army-led violence in western Rakhine shock the globe, sparking outrage over a staggering scale of human suffering that has festered along the border.Ever since the bloodshed broke out in late August, tourism

Southeast Asian countries are innately blessed with the diverse culture and heritage sites that they could offer to tourists from all across the world. Every country within the region will entice you with even more stunning nature, architecture and ethos.

Two workers were found dead and 12 others were missing Saturday after a landslide at a construction site on the popular Malaysian tourist island of Penang, officials said.Rescuers rushed to the Tanjung Bungah area on the north of Penang after the accident was reported just before 9:00 am (0100 GMT), the fire and rescue department said.Pictures showed large piles of earth had slipped off a hillside onto the site, where houses were being built.Two bodies were pulled from the mud and twelve othe