DOSSIER - Singapore - Bangkok: the rush to South-East Asia

Singapore, once known for its no-no's - no chewing gum, no gambling, no photography... - Singapore is taking liberties and proving it with the opening of the already famous Marina Bay Sands, an extravagant 57-storey, 2,561-room resort with... a casino. Long the air hub of South-East Asia, it is now becoming the region's new flagship tourist destination. Its strengths include gastronomy and culture, as well as one of the most dynamic economies in the world. Not far from there, Bangkok, Thailand's mind-boggling capital, ignores, as usual, the political turmoil that regularly shakes the country. It works first and foremost and, after the last crisis, is once again attracting tourists and foreign investors. Text Cécile Balavoine, Luc Citrinot - Photos Ludovic Maisant