Thailand News

U.S. Insurance Commissioners Host 13 International Regulatory Interns

The organization of state insurance commissioners welcomed 13 interns from Azerbaijan, China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Zambia to the U.S. this week. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has sponsored its International Internship Program for Education and Regulatory …

ING to Split Banking and Insurance Operations under EU Pressure

Dutch bancassurer ING will split in two, transforming itself into a smaller European lender in the most striking example yet of the deep changes that EU policymakers want to force on banks that received state aid. The company also said …

Over 500 Reported Dead in Sumatra Quake; AIR Analyzes Disaster

Not long after the Samoan earthquake and tsunami struck in the South Pacific, a major earthquake occurred 9500 kms (5900 miles) away off Sumatra in western Indonesia. Latest news bulletins have raised the initial death toll from the disaster to …

Is Economic Terrorism a Threat to Southeast Asia?

If the suicide bombers who targeted two luxury hotels in Jakarta this year hoped their attacks would strike a significant long-term blow against Indonesia’s economy, the reaction of financial markets suggests they were wrong. Economic warfare is at the heart …

Gates Foundation Backs Efforts to Bring Financial Services to World’s Poor

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, best known for its work combating malaria, AIDS and other diseases, announced an effort this week to bring financial services, including savings accounts, to the poor. It may be hard to understand how savings …

Ratings Recap: Grupo Nacional, BEST RE, Triple-S, Arab Re, Int’l. Energy, Asian Re

A. M. Best Co. has revised the outlook to negative from stable and affirmed the financial strength rating of ‘A’ (Excellent) and issuer credit rating of “a” of Mexico’s Grupo Nacional Provincial, S. A.(GNP). Best said the “ratings reflect GNP’s …

Strong Earthquake Jolts Tokyo Area

The second seismic event to hit Japan in two days occurred off the central coast of the Japanese island of Honshu at 5:15 a.m. local time (20:15 UTC on Monday). Catastrophe risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide said the US Geological …

New York Regulator Signs Cooperation Agreement with Thailand

The New York State Insurance Department recently signed an agreement with regulators in Thailand that calls for increased cooperation between the two in investigating insurance matters. The agreement formalizes coordination between the two regulatory bodies. “This agreement between Thailand and …

New York Regulator Signs Cooperation Agreement with China

The New York State Insurance Department has signed a cooperation agreement with regulators in China calling for closer cooperation between the two agencies in overseeing insurance issues. Acting Superintendent Kermitt Brooks and Jiang Bo, deputy director general of the International …

Asia-Pacific Nations Decry First-world Protectionist Policies

Some Asia-Pacific nations criticized U.S. and other developed world protectionism on Tuesday at a meeting aimed at spurring a global trade pact and revitalizing the global economy. Thai Commerce Minister Pornthiva Nakasai, meeting her Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation counterparts including the …