SIA flights between S'pore and Cambodia, S'pore and Thailand, operating normally amid border dispute
A spokesperson for the SIA Group said its top priority is the safety of customers and its employees.
SINGAPORE – All Singapore Airlines (SIA) flights between Singapore and Cambodia, as well as between Singapore and Thailand, continue to operate normally despite a
deadly border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia.
A spokesperson for the SIA Group said its top priority is the safety of customers and its employees.
'We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will adjust our flights where necessary,' the spokesperson added.
A long-simmering border dispute between Thailand and Cambodia escalated to deadly violence on July 24 as their military forces clashed at multiple spots, leaving at least 12 people dead.
The flare-up is part of a broader disagreement with origins stretching back more than a century and involves parts of a region known as the Emerald Triangle, where the boundaries of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos meet.
The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia will attend mediation talks over their deadly border conflict in Malaysia on July 28 at 3pm local time at the Malaysian Prime Minister's Office in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
invited representatives from both countries. Malaysia, which chairs the regional grouping Asean, has informed the Thai government that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet would also be attending the talks, the statement said.
According to The Nation, flights between Thailand and Cambodia are continuing as normal, as Cambodia's declared restricted area is limited and does not significantly impact air traffic departing from Thailand. Alternative flight paths are also readily available.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
12 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Hanoi's plan to ban petrol bikes by 2026 leaves livelihoods in the dust
Find out what's new on ST website and app. On July 12, Vietnam officials said it would ban all fossil fuel-powered motorbikes from Hanoi's inner-city starting on July 1, 2026. HANOI – Almost every day, Mr Bui Van Cong, 36, rides around on his motorbike taxi ferrying passengers in Hanoi, many of whom are travelling downtown for work or school and others running various errands. He covers almost 100km daily, making around 500,000 Vietnamese dong (S$24.50) a day. This is sufficient for to cover the bachelor's daily expenses and rental for a modest room on the outskirts of the city. But the common sight of thousands of motorbikes like his zipping across the Vietnam capital could soon be a thing of the past. On July 12, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed a directive to ban all fossil fuel-powered motorbikes from Hanoi's inner-city starting July 1, 2026, as part of a sweeping new effort to tackle air and water pollution in the capital. For the city's 8.5 million people who own nearly 7 million motorbikes, most of them powered by fossil fuel, the phasing out of these vehicles comes at great cost for the average person. 'Our livelihoods are going to be affected badly,' said Mr Cong. It would be an understatement to say Hanoi residents rely heavily on petrol bikes – they use the motorbikes to take their children to school, deliver goods to the market, and may transport a family of four and even five on one bike to their hometowns in other provinces during the Lunar New Year holiday. 'This ban is a tax on the poor,' said motorbike ride Le Van Thinh, 58, an army veteran and part-time deliveryman, pointing out that for millions of low-income people in Hanoi, motorbikes are their livelihoods. The decision to ban petrol bikes has quickly become one of the hottest, and most divisive, topics of discussion among Hanoi residents. Currently, about half a million petrol-powered bikes operate within Hanoi's inner city every day. Petrol motorbikes significantly contribute to the city's worsening air pollution, accounting for 25 per cent of local fine dust, or particulate matter, according to a World Bank report. Other factors include industrial production and agriculture. This has made Hanoi one of the world's most air-polluted cities – 40 per cent of people in Hanoi are exposed to concentrations nearly five times greater than World Health Organisation guidelines. Petrol-powered motorbikes also emit high levels of other harmful pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds. Vietnam, which is a regional manufacturing hub with one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, sees around 60,000 deaths annually that are related to air pollution. The toxic smog that envelops Hanoi for most of the year also poses health, environmental and economic risks to residents. Since 2017, the local government has been considering a plan to clean up the capital's air, but the progress has been slow, until Mr Chinh's announcement on July 12. Some like Mr Nguyen Thi Huong Lan, 42, an office worker, are supportive of the move. And while it will impact the daily commute for numerous people, Ms Lan believes that 'extreme situations call for drastic measures'. 'I'm worried about my children's health and their future, so I'm very happy the government has decided to phase out polluting vehicles in Hanoi,' she told ST. 'I bought an electric bike myself last year.' Inadequate infrastructure The July 2026 deadline, which is a timeframe of a little less than 12 months, has also been described as too hasty. 'I understand that a civilised, modern hub should have fewer motorbikes,' said Dr Vu Thanh Ca, a senior lecturer at Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment. 'But with fewer motorbikes, how will Hanoi residents get around when the public transportation system is as underdeveloped as it is now?' he asked. The public transport infrastructure in Hanoi remains far from adequate, with only some 2,000 public buses, including fewer than 300 electric ones. The city's nascent metro system has just two operational lines spanning 20km in total. Dr Ca suggested that in order to ban petrol motorbikes or cars, Hanoi must 'urgently' build and operate a good public transportation network and improve urban railway system. In 2017, the Hanoi authorities set a target for its public passenger transport system, consisting mostly of buses, to meet at least 30 per cent of travel demand in the central urban area by 2020. It hoped to raise this figure to 50 per cent by 2030. Mr Bui Van Cong, who provides motorbike taxi services to Hanoi commuters, is worried about the 2026 ban. PHOTO: NGA PHAM Currently, the public bus system currently meets only 18 per cent of the total transportation demand. 'I think banning or restricting personal vehicles should be implemented gradually alongside an efficient public transportation system,' said Dr Ca, adding that the authorities should also enforce strict emission testing for fossil-fuelled vehicles. According to a recent survey of more than 13,000 people by VnExpress news outlet, 58 per cent of respondents felt that banning petrol bikes by mid-2026 was 'unfeasible', and only 18 per cent were confident of the city meeting the deadline. 'They will not able to do that, not next year, not in the next five years,' exclaimed Mr Thinh, the army veteran. 'Where are they going to dump the millions of petrol bikes we have?' While going electric seems to be the obvious solution for some, for others it's not within their budget. The average monthly earnings in Hanoi is around 10 million Vietnamese dong . 'I don't make much money and I have a million things to pay for,' Mr Cong told ST, 'How can I afford to buy a new electric motorbike that costs at least 30 million dong ?' His second-hand petrol bike cost around 8 million dong two years ago. Right now, such motorcycles cost around 10 million to 12 million dong. The Hanoi authorities have proposed a scheme to subsidise some of the costs involved in converting from petrol-powered motorbikes to electric motorbikes. Mr Duong Duc Tuan, the vice-chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, said the city will cover nearly all associated administrative costs for vehicle conversion, including registration fees and licence plate issuance for new electric motorbikes, amounting to at least 3 million dong . Charging of these vehicles also poses a major challenge for the authorities. Hanoi still lacks sufficient facilities for the millions of electric motorbikes it plans to put on the roads in the near future. At the moment, only one automaker, Vinfast, has around 10 charging stations across Hanoi, only for Vinfast motorbikes. It is unclear how many vehicles the stations serve, as most of users charge at home. In total, there are 200,000 e-bikes in Hanoi, according to the transport department. Mr Tuan said on July 14 that the authorities will establish 'a suitable charging station system (for electric vehicles), while ensuring safety'. Mr Cong said: 'Those (electric) bikes are only good for going to the shop or short distances, not for the hundreds of kilometres a day my job requires, because they need constant charging.' On a full charge, an electric motorbike can travel between 60km and 80km. PHOTO: NGA PHAM On a full charge, an electric motorbike can travel between 60km and 80km. Mr Tuan also said an electric public transport network with small electric buses will be set up to form an inner-city shuttle system to meet people's mobility needs, he said. This scheme, however, is likely to take more than a year to carry out. Mr Tuan did not give any dates or other details, such as the size of the electric public transport network. Changing habit Mr Nguyen Ba Canh Son, founder and CEO of Dat Bike, is one of Vietnam's home-grown electric bike producers that hit the streets in 2019. PHOTO: NGA PHAM Electric motorbike makers are upbeat about the 'clear signal that Vietnam is serious about decarbonising urban transport', said Mr Nguyen Ba Canh Son, founder and CEO of Dat Bike, one of Vietnam's home-grown electric bike producers that hit the streets in 2019. Mr Son said that the e-bike market is expanding by a 'remarkable' 30 per cent a year. He said that the market for adult-use electric motorbikes, like the models Dat Bike produces, is growing at approximately 50 per cent annually. There are also electric bikes for schoolchildren and people with limited mobility. 'We aim to produce 200,000 to 250,000 bikes a year to meet this rising demand,' added Mr Son. Besides Dat Bike, there are several electric motorbike manufacturers in Vietnam. The biggest is VinFast, which is owned by Vingroup, one of the largest private corporations in the country. VinFast delivered 71,000 electric bikes in 2024 and plans to double that figure in 2025. According to the World Bank, Vietnam could have 12 million to 16 million electric motorbikes on the road by 2035. But the country will need to increase electricity generation to meet charging demand. This will require additional power sector investments of up to US$9 billion (S$11.5 billion) by 2030, said the World Bank. While the government's direction for greener modes of transport can bring long-term benefits, there needs to be more work done to support the green transition. 'In order to have green transportation, we need green energy,' said environmental activist Pham Thi Huong Giang, noting that currently, 85 per cent of Vietnam's electricity comes from fossil fuels. Meanwhile, she too was sceptical of the one-year deadline to phase out petrol bikes from the city core. She believes this should be extended to at least five years to help people prepare for the transition. 'It's not that we don't support the switch to electric bikes, we just want an action plan with greener solutions,' Ms Giang said.
Business Times
12 minutes ago
- Business Times
Rising palm oil prices, policy ambitions may increase haze risk in Asean: think tank
[SINGAPORE] Higher agricultural commodity prices, rising deforestation and shifting government policies may increase the risk of severe transboundary haze in South-east Asia this year, said the think tank Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) in its annual Haze Outlook report on Monday (Jul 28). Following a 'green' rating indicating low risk of such an event in 2024, SIIA raised its rating this year to 'amber', indicating a medium risk. Such a haze event – which could affect Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia – was last observed in 2019, with less intense episodes in 2023 and July this year. 'Early in the year, many weather assessments projected a relatively benign haze season,' said chairman of SIIA, Associate Professor Simon Tay. 'However, as the situation evolved, it has become clear that regional fire and haze risks are rising – not just from weather, but from global economic and policy changes. Peatland fires in Sumatra spewed haze into Indonesian and Malaysian skies last week, with two regions in West Sumatra declaring a state of emergency as hot spots spiked. The institute's haze outlook drew attention to a growing demand-supply imbalance in the agricultural commodities sector – particularly palm oil in Asean. While declines in global palm plantation expansion and related deforestation have offered environmental reprieve, the report said, analysts have expressed concern over its economic consequences. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Palm oil is typically the cheapest among vegetable oils, but its price in Indonesia and Malaysia rose to more than that of soybean oil from Latin America for nine straight months in the previous year, noted the report. 'Agricultural commodity prices have been elevated since the Covid-19 pandemic and remain at high levels, particularly for palm oil where supply is not keeping pace with international demand,' said Khor Yu-Leng, associate director for sustainability at SIIA. Rising agricultural commodity prices have historically been followed by spikes in deforestation, as planters seek to expand plantation areas to meet rising global demand, Khor told reporters on Monday (Jul 28) at a briefing for the launch of the report. While she said that current high prices have yet to trigger a major rise in deforestation in the region, there had been a slight uptick in deforestations between 2023 and 2024, particularly in Sumatra. Additionally, major political ambitions in Indonesia may further elevate demand for domestic production, increasing the need for plantation expansion – possibly through illegal deforestation. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has sought to emphasise the country's palm oil sector as a major part of its economic strategy in a drive towards self-sufficiency, SIIA wrote. This has involved intensifying downstreaming efforts in the agricultural commodities sector, seeking to strengthen processing and refining of palm oil into food and chemical products. The Indonesian leader has also stepped up efforts to encourage the use of biofuels, mandating an increase in the blend of vegetable oil to diesel from 35 per cent to 40 per cent in early 2025, with further plans to increase the mix to 50 per cent. These moves, the institute wrote, are expected to significantly increase pressure on domestic palm oil demand, with Indonesia's agricultural sector balancing the weight of export revenue, food security and the country's energy needs on its shoulders. Additionally, the report noted that further uncertainty could hit the industry in the coming months, with a move by the European Union to restrict imports of products linked to deforestation scheduled to take effect in Dec 2025. 'Indonesia has called for further delay to the regulation to 2028, as some smallholder farmers are not fully prepared for the compliance requirements,' said Associate Professor Tay. 'But the implications on trade and markets remains unclear.' Still, Khor emphasised that the region's overall deforestation remained far below 2015 levels – in part due to the efforts of Prabowo's predecessor Joko Widodo. The former president's administration oversaw 1.6 million hectares of peatland restorations and harsher crackdowns on companies liable for fires. 'For now, the weather is relatively benign and fires can be kept under control unless the situation changes,' the report said, noting that the intense periods of drought that have drawn previous haze incidents remain unlikely in 2025, as meteorological data suggests. 'The longer-term risk is whether rising global demand and new policy directions will drive expansion in ways that undermine environmental safeguards,' said Khor. 'Even if the weather conditions are not extreme, these could push actors to expand land use in ways that heighten fire and haze risks,' she added. This should ideally be done through sustainable expansion on non-forest areas, conversion of other croplands, yield increases and replanting of ageing areas, the institute wrote. 'Much will depend on Indonesia's governance of its plantation and commodities industry,' said Associate Professor Tay.
CNA
12 minutes ago
- CNA
Thailand denies using chemical weapons in clashes with Cambodia
BANGKOK: Thailand on Monday (Jul 28) denied using chemical weapons in its border conflict with Cambodia, condemning the 'baseless accusation'. In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the allegations are part of a 'campaign of disinformation aiming to discredit Thailand's reputation while the two countries are scheduled to meet'. 'This accusation once again is groundless and reflects a pattern of disinformation, aimed at distorting the facts on the ground and deliberately undermining Thailand's credibility and standing in the international community,' the ministry added. Maly Socheata, a spokesperson for the Cambodian defence minister, had earlier accused Thai forces of using chemical weapons in their attack. The Cambodian Human Rights Committee also condemned what it called 'Thailand's deliberate use of toxic military smokes and obscurants'. On Facebook, the wife of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet shared a photo of a plane emitting smoke, captioned: "Thai aircraft released toxic smoke in the disputed areas on Jul 27, according to the Cambodia's Ministry of National Defense." In Monday's statement, the Thai foreign ministry said its position on the use of chemical weapons has been consistent. 'We condemn the use of chemical weapons anywhere, by anyone, under any circumstances,' it said. 'Thailand is also fully committed to all international instruments on disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.' The Royal Thai Armed Forces said it 'categorically rejects' the allegations by Cambodia. 'Thailand calls upon the international community to take serious note of such behaviour and to jointly condemn the use of disinformation aimed at distorting reality on the global stage,' it said in a statement. The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia held ceasefire talks in Malaysia on Monday as the deadly skirmish dragged into a fifth day.
