Southeast Asia in January 2026: the most important developments in society
In Southeast Asia in January 2026, the most reported story was a landslide in Indonesia. On 24 January, 7 people were reported dead and 82 missing after a landslide in West Bandung. By 28 January the death toll had risen to 34, with dozens still missing as search efforts continued.
In Thailand, a crane fell on a train on 14 January, derailing carriages and killing at least 32 people. Bookings in Hat Yai, hit by flooding, remained well down as the city was still struggling. On 28 January, about one-third of Thailand, including the Greater Bangkok area, was covered by red-level, hazardous concentrations of PM2.5 air pollution, and the country was screening 1,700 passengers arriving from India for the Nipah virus.
Elsewhere, an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 struck the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, according to the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, and Taal Volcano stayed calm despite increased gas emissions. In Vietnam, fake baby milk was discovered, and the government planned to fine school principals up to $400 if students were caught vaping on school premises.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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