Ep 300: Thailand & Cambodia Pursue Peace, Myanmar Nears ASEAN Return & Embodied AI Tourism in Malaysia: Start the Week in The South East Asia - Part 1

Is a rapprochement between Thailand and Cambodia getting closer? Could Myanmar soon return to ASEAN? And how will embodied AI transform the tourism landscape in South East Asia? Those are three of the top questions Gary and Hannah ask and answer in Part 1 of our two-part Start the Week show. To kickstart the lead-up to the May holiday period, we head to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and China to tackle the talking points that matter. The intervention of China could bring closer a resolution of the year-long border stand-off between Thailand and Cambodia that developed into military conflict. Geopolitical machinations are in motion in Myanmar as ASEAN prepares to welcome it back to the 11-nation fold. Meanwhile, Cambodia launches a new Green Season promotion to entice tourists during its shoulder season, tourism budget challenges multiply in the Philippines. Plus, robot dogs guide tourists at a Singapore wildlife reserve and a choreographed robot show heads to Malaysia. ‘The robots are coming!’