Nordic News, Business and Life in Asia
On a hilltop, overlooking containers and cranes at Singapore’s southern harbour, stands a bright white two-story building with a brick roof. Two flagpoles are raised in front of the house. …
Norwegian priest, Sjur Askjer; “We came to make a home for Norwegians” Read More
In the heart of Taipei’s Da’an District, right off Civic Boulevard, hidden on the ground level of a humble five-story building, one will find a bright red entrance to a …
Nabo Ulv: a Cuisine Culture clash in the heart of Taipei Read More
Norwegian seafood exports to Asia have been disrupted after new fighting in the Middle East led to airspace closures across the region, IntraFish reports. The conflict, involving attacks between Israel, …
Middle East conflict disrupts Norwegian seafood exports to Asia Read More
Several thousand Asian tourists are stuck all over Scandinavia and the rest of Europe and may be unable to return home after airspace closures over the Gulf disrupted key flight …
Asian tourists also stranded in Europe as Middle East conflict disrupts flights Read More
The holiday ended before it began. Minutes after landing in Phuket, a Norwegian tourist was taken aside at passport control and locked inside an airport detention cell, Verdens Gang reports. …
Torn passport page detains Norwegian tourist at Phuket airport Read More
Thailand’s Immigration Bureau is waiving overstay fines for some foreign travellers stranded by flight disruptions linked to Middle East airspace closures. The waiver applies to travellers whose permission to stay …
Thailand waives overstay penalties for travellers hit by Middle East flight cancellations Read More
Fresh Norwegian salmon shipments to Vietnam are being delayed after flight cancellations across Middle East transit routes. Several retailers in Ho Chi Minh City said suppliers have cancelled or postponed …
Vietnam retailers warn of Norwegian salmon shortages due to war in the Middle East Read More Thailand plans to provide financial support to foreign tourists stranded in the country due to global airspace closures linked to the escalating Middle East crisis, Government Public Relations Department (PRD) …
Thailand plans financial support for stranded foreign tourists Read More
First Sweden. Now Norway. In just a matter of weeks, major discoveries of rare and critical metals in the Nordic region have reignited hopes that Europe could loosen Beijing’s grip …
The ground beneath Scandinavia is starting to shift Europe’s dependence on China Read More
More than 20 Norwegian retirees have filed a complaint over a housing project in Chon Buri after a change in ownership, according to Thaiger. The residents live at Thai-Norway Resort, …
Norwegian retirees complain of harassment and new fees after project takeover Read More
A military escalation between the United States, Israel and Iran has prompted several Middle Eastern countries to close or severely restrict their airspace, including the United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu …
Airspace shutdown: What travellers between Southeast Asia and the Nordics need to know Read More
The EFTA–Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (ESDEA) entered into force for Singapore and Norway today, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry announced in a press release. The agreement sets rules to …
Norway and Singapore enters into trade deal Read More
US and Israeli forces have carried out strikes on targets in Iran, prompting swift reactions from governments across Asia and the Nordic region, Gulf News reports. In Southeast Asia, Malaysian …
Asia and Nordic leaders urge restraint after strikes on Iran Read More
Chiang Mai has been ranked the most affordable city in the world for digital nomads living on a monthly budget of $2,000, according to a February 2026 report by Life …
Chiang Mai named world’s cheapest city for digital nomads Read More
The Embassy of Denmark in the Philippines, together with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila, the Swedish and Finnish embassies in Manila, is supporting a new food rescue project in …
Nordic embassies step up fight against hunger in Manila Read More
Travellers in Southeast Asia are being reminded not to collect souvenir stamps in their passports following a warning from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The DFA cautioned that …
Philippines warns against souvenir passport stamps Read More
Artists from Denmark, Sweden and Norway are among the 30 finalists selected for the 2026 Loewe Craft Prize, with the winner set to be announced in Singapore this May. The …
Nordic artists shortlisted for Loewe Craft Prize in Singapore Read More
Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PT PAL Indonesia, the country’s largest state-owned shipyard. The agreement was signed at PT PAL’s headquarters in Surabaya on 24 …
Kongsberg Maritime signs MoU with Indonesia’s PT PAL Read More
Big money is moving across the oceans. Two giant oil tankers have just secured contracts worth up to USD 94,000 per day – and operations in both Norway and Singapore …
Oil tanker company with operations in Norway and Singapore secures million-dollar deals Read More
Nordic-affiliated companies and Philippine firms working with Nordic partners are now invited to compete for the Sustainability Leadership Award 2026. The award recognizes companies that demonstrate measurable results in environmental …
Nordic-Philippine firms invited to apply for sustainability award Read More
Indonesia’s nationwide ban on elephant riding is being rolled out across conservation and tourism facilities in Bali, Sumatra and Borneo following a government directive issued in December 2025. The policy …
Indonesia’s elephant ride ban now taking effect across Bali and beyond Read More
Cambodia has deported 372 foreigners in a large-scale immigration operation, Khmer Times reports. According to the Director-General of Immigration under the Ministry of Interior, the deportations took place on 19-20 …
Norwegian National included in Cambodia deportation operation Read More
Philippine authorities have rescued 18 minors in three separate operations as part of an intensified campaign against online child sexual abuse and trafficking. According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), …
Norwegian national linked to child abuse case as 18 minors rescued in Philippines Read More
Flying out of Thailand is about to become more expensive, Bangkok Post reports. From 20 June 2026, the passenger service charge on international departures will rise from 730 baht to …
Thailand to raise airport departure fee Read More
Citizens of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland can now enter6 China without a visa for short stays, Travel and Tour World reports. The new policy took effect during the 2026 …
Nordic citizens granted visa-free access to China Read More
Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago in the High North, is emerging as a potential strategic pressure point in the Arctic, according to US-based defense analysis outlet RealClearDefense. While Svalbard is under …
Growing Chinese presence in Norway draws security concern Read More
Norwegian biometric technology company Next Biometrics has secured its first contract in Malaysia, supplying fingerprint readers to government authorities, according to Biometric Update. The company’s Oyster III device will be …
Norwegian company wins first fingerprint order in Malaysia Read More
A protein in the brain may hold new hope for Alzheimer’s patients, and the discovery comes from a Norwegian research team working closely with Chinese partners, University of Oslo reports. …
Norwegian Alzheimer’s breakthrough backed by China collaboration Read More
Around 100 Scandinavians and friends of the Nordics are expected to gather at Bangkok Island Pier on March 28 before setting sail on what organisers describe as a very Nordic …
After a decade, Viking Boat Party returns to Bangkok Read More
Thailand’s plan to cut visa-free stays from 60 to 30 days is now being reviewed again, Bangkok Post reports. Foreign Affairs Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said the caretaker government is reassessing …
Thailand reconsiders 60-day visa-free stay after local complaints Read More
A strengthening Norwegian krone could make trips to Norway more expensive for foreign visitors – including travellers from Asia. The currency has gained significant ground in early 2026. According to …
Rising Norwegian Krone could raise costs for Asian visitors Read More
Sustainability continues to move higher on the agenda for Thailand’s hospitality industry. On 27 February 2026, the Thai-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce will join the Franco-Thai Chamber of Commerce and the …
Thai-Norwegian chamber puts green hospitality in focus Read More
The Ambassadors of Finland, Denmark and Norway met with Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, Datuk Amar Sri Haji Fadillah Haji Yusof, to discuss …
Nordic ambassadors discuss green energy cooperation with Malaysia Read More
The widely discussed reduction of Thailand’s visa-free stay has now moved from speculation to decision. The Thai government has confirmed that the permitted stay under the visa-exemption scheme will be …
Thailand confirms visa-free stay will be reduced to 30 days Read More
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Nio recorded weak sales across Europe in January, with particularly sharp declines in Nordic markets, according to EV. In Norway – Nio’s first European market – …
Chinese EV maker Nio struggles in Nordic markets Read More
Norwegian authorities have deported a Chinese citizen from Norway for five years after a traffic accident in Balsfjord, Troms, Dagbladet reports. Police said a Danish-registered rental car crossed into oncoming …
Chinese driver deported from Norway after car crash Read More
A major new global report from the Pew Research Center has now been released, mapping religious diversity across 201 countries worldwide. Six years after the data was collected, the global …
Singapore and Norway far apart on the Religious Diversity Scale Read More
Norway’s Halten Bulk has signed a contract with Chinese yard Jiangsu SOHO Marine Heavy Industry to build two 7,100 DWT bulk carriers, with options for two more, according to The …
Norwegian company orders new ships from China Read More
A post dated 16 February 2026 set out FAQs on China’s visa-free entry arrangements for ordinary passport holders. The guidance says citizens of 50 countries can enter visa-free for up …
China’s embassy releases guidelines on updated visa-free entry policy Read More
As darkness fell over Bangkok, Scandinavians and Thai guests filled the Danish Embassy’s garden for an open-air night of Nordic cinema at the 2026 Nordic Film Festival. Friday the 13th …
Hundreds gathered at the Danish Embassy: Here’s what happened after sunset Read More
Chinese New Year 2026 begins on 17 February and marks the start of the Year of the Horse. Across China and in several Nordic cities, public events, themed dinners and …
Chinese New Year: What you can experience in China and the Nordic countries Read More
Norway’s Minister of International Development Åsmund Grøver Aukrust visited Indonesia on February 11-13 following his Vietnam trip on February 9-10, holding high-level meetings in Jakarta on climate, development financing and …
Norway and Indonesia advance climate and development cooperation during ministerial meetings Read More
China’s foreign minister Wang Yi met Norway’s foreign minister Espen Barth Eide on 14 February. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Wang said China …
China’s and Norway’s foreign minister at Munich Security Conference Read More
Norway has funded the renovation of a peace operations center in Mindanao in the southern Philippines. Philippine peace authorities and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila officially handed over the …
Norway steps in to strengthen peace in the southern Philippines Read More
The EU Delegation in Singapore issued a joint statement on 13 February after the execution of Malaysian citizen Lingkesvaran Rajendaren. The statement was also backed by the diplomatic missions of …
Norway joins EU statement criticising Singapore execution Read More
Indonesia and Norway have launched talks on the fifth phase of their results-based carbon emission reduction initiative, known as RBC-5. Indonesia’s forestry minister Raja Juli Antoni said the talks began …
Indonesia and Norway start 5th phase talks carbon reduction Read More
Vietnam has encouraged Norway to increase investment in renewable energy projects as the country plans to invest an estimated $136 billion in expanding its power system, according to Báo Nghệ …
Vietnam pushes Norway over $136 billion energy plan Read More
Guests from the Nordic community in Bangkok were invited to the opening ceremony of the Nordic Film Festival at the Royal Danish Embassy in Thailand on Thursday night on 12 …
Nordic Film Festival opens at Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok Read More
Thailand is preparing to roll back one of its most generous entry policies. The government plans to reduce visa-free stays from 60 days to 30 days for citizens of 93 …
Big change for nordic travellers: Thailand plans to cut visa-free stay Read More
Chinese car brands made up nearly 14% of all new car sales in Norway in 2025, according to data reported by Reuters. The figures, based on research from automotive consultancy …
Notable growth: China gains ground in Norway Read More