When Amazon entered Southeast Asia in 2017 with a launch in Singapore, the Seattle-headquartered company was expected to rapidly begin devouring the region’s e-commerce market. But even as Southeast Asia has seen its own digital renaissance, the expected Amazon invasion hasn’t yet materialised. Instead, rather uncharacteristically, Amazon has taken its own sweet time. But if…

To access this post, you must purchase Monthly Recurring, Quarterly Subscription or 3-Year Subscription.

AUTHOR

Jon Russell

Jon Russell is Southeast Asia editor for The Ken based in Bangkok. Originally from the UK, Jon moved to Thailand in 2008. He’s passionate about telling thoughtful business stories, and tracking the impact of the internet in his adopted home of Southeast Asia.

View Full Profile

Available exclusively to subscribers of The Ken Southeast Asia

This story is a part of The Ken Southeast Asia edition. Subscribe. Questions?

MOST POPULAR

Annual Subscription

12-month access to 150+ stories from Southeast Asia.

Rs. 7,200

Subscribe
 

Quarterly Subscription

3-month access to 35+ stories from Southeast Asia.

Rs. 3,000

Subscribe
 

Single Story

Instant access to this story for a year along with comment privileges.

Rs. 1,250

Subscribe

I look forward fervently to my daily long reads from The Ken featuring Yangon and Jakarta, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Saigon.

The Ken has changed the way insiders and outsiders alike learn about the Indian tech ecosystem. Considering the posse they gathered to cover Southeast Asia, I would expect nothing less from them for the new region - and this happens not a moment too soon.

Dmitry Levit / Founder and General Partner / Cento Ventures

It is a must-subscribe publication for all entrepreneurs and investors.

The Ken offers an in-depth analysis on emerging issues that matter. I enjoy reading the insights from their fresh perspective.

Yansen Kamto / Founding Partner / Kinesys Group

It is this kind of reporting that will contribute to the maturation and vibrancy of the Southeast Asia tech ecosystem.

A lot of the tech news in our region is headline-driven. This makes it a race to break news and make things sound spicy, which in turn generates a lot of noise. I find The Ken's approach of releasing one well-researched article a day both relevant and refreshing.

Paul Santos / Managing Partner / Wavemaker Partners

The Ken’s long-form in-depth pieces is exactly what we need in today’s clickbait trigger happy world.

Darius Cheung / Founder and CEO / 99.co

The Ken represents the best up-and-coming group of journalists who aim to get you balanced and accurate stories. It's an indispensable subscription.

Hian Goh / Co-founder and Partner / Openspace Ventures

Questions?

What is The Ken?

The Ken is a subscription-only business journalism website and app that provides coverage across two editions - India and Southeast Asia.

What kind of stories do you write?

We publish sharp, original and reported stories on technology, business and healthcare. Our stories are forward-looking, analytical and directional — supported by data, visualisations and infographics.

We use language and narrative that is accessible to even lay readers. And we optimise for quality over quantity, every single time.

What do I get if I subscribe?

For subscribers of the India edition, we publish a new story every weekday, and a newsletter on Saturday.

For subscribers of the Southeast Asia edition, we publish a new story three days a week, and a newsletter on Friday.

The annual subscription will get you complete, exclusive access to our archive of previously published stories for your edition, along with access to our subscriber-only mobile apps, our premium comment sections and several other gifts and benefits.

Does a subscription to the India edition grant me access to Southeast Asia stories? Or vice-versa?

Afraid not. Each edition is separate with its own subscription plan. The India edition publishes stories focused on India. The Southeast Asia edition is focused on Southeast Asia. We may occasionally cross-publish stories from one edition to the other.

Do you offer an all-access joint subscription for both editions?

Not yet. If you’d like to access both editions, you’ll have to purchase two subscriptions separately - one for India and the other for Southeast Asia.

Do you offer any discounts?

No. We have a zero discounts policy.

Is there a free trial I can opt for?

We don’t offer any trials, but you can sign up for a free account which will give you access to the weekly free story, our archive of free stories and summaries of the paid stories. You can stay on the free account as long as you’d like.

Do you offer refunds?

We allow you to sample our journalism for free before signing up, and after you do, we stand by its quality. But we do not offer refunds.

I am facing some trouble purchasing a subscription. What can I do?

Please write to us at [email protected] detailing the error or queries.