Australia's S&P/ASX 200 opened down 34.8 points (-0.38%) at 9,080.40 on Monday, Aug 17.

Thailand's national agency said seasonally adjusted Q2 GDP contracted 0.2% QoQ, versus a REUTERS SURVEY expectation of a 0.6% contraction.

The US government is discussing renewed sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court justice Alexandre de Moraes, the Financial Times reports. Sources say the Trump administration is again considering action after sanctions were imposed last year on human-rights grounds and later lifted. Renewed measures could push US‑Brazil ties to their lowest level in decades, exacerbate trade and political tensions and increase uncertainty ahead of Brazil’s election.