For PhD students and researchers operating on a limited grant, attending international conferences in the US or Europe can be financially draining. Southeast Asia—specifically Thailand and Indonesia—offers a brilliant alternative for 2026.These destinations provide a "High Cost-Performance" experience: Registration fees are often 30-50% lower than Western conferences, hotels are affordable luxury, and Ei/Scopus indexing is increasingly stable, especially for IEEE-sponsored events.
Here are our top recommendations for 2026.
Thailand: ECTI-CON 2026 - The Authority in EE/CS
The International Conference on Electrical Engineering/Electronics, Computer, Telecommunications and Information Technology (ECTI-CON) is the flagship conference of the IEEE Thailand Section.
Unlike commercial conferences, this is an association-run event, meaning the registration fee is kept low (typically $300-$450 USD) while academic standards remain high.
• Conference: 2026 23rd International Conference on Electrical Engineering/Electronics, Computer, Telecommunications and Information Technology (ECTI-CON 2026)
• Estimated Date: May/June 2026
• Location: Thailand (City rotates: Phuket, Chiang Mai, or Khon Kaen)
• Focus: Signal Processing, AI, Wireless Networks, Power Electronics.
• Indexing: IEEE Xplore, Ei Compendex, and Scopus.
• Why it's a Deal: It is one of the most respected IEEE conferences in ASEAN.
• Official Website: https://ecti-con.org/ (Check for 2026 specific subdomain updates)
Indonesia: ICEPS 2026 - Psychology & Education in Bali
If you are in Social Sciences, ICEPS allows you to combine professional development with a trip to the "Island of Gods." Held annually in Bali, it attracts a diverse international crowd.
• Conference: 2026 13th International Conference on Education and Psychological Sciences (ICEPS 2026)
• Estimated Date: January/February 2026
• Location: Bali, Indonesia
• Focus: Educational Technology, Counseling Psychology, Special Education.
• Indexing: Scopus (Proceedings or Special Issue Journals).
• Why it's a Deal: Bali has an incredibly low cost of living. You can book 4-star hotels for under $50 USD/night.
• Official Website: http://www.iceps.org/
Thailand: ICBBS 2026 - Bio-Science in Bangkok
For researchers in Bioinformatics and Biomedical Engineering, ICBBS is a long-standing event that offers a convenient meeting point in Bangkok, a major international travel hub.
• Conference: 2026 15th International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedical Science (ICBBS 2026)
• Estimated Date: October 2026
• Location: Bangkok, Thailand
• Focus: DNA Sequencing, Bio-Data Mining, Medical Imaging.
• Indexing: Scopus and Ei Compendex (often ACM ICPS).
• Why it's a Deal: Flight connections to Bangkok are frequent and cheap from almost anywhere in Asia.
• Official Website: http://www.icbbs.org/
Indonesia: ICIC 2026 - IEEE Indonesia Flagship
Similar to ECTI-CON, ICIC (International Conference on Informatics and Computing) is organized by APTIKOM and technically co-sponsored by IEEE Indonesia. It is the gold standard for CS researchers in the region.
• Conference: 2026 11th International Conference on Informatics and Computing (ICIC 2026)
• Estimated Date: November/December 2026
• Location: Indonesia (Rotates among major cities like Jakarta, Bali, or Batam)
• Focus: Cloud Computing, IoT, Data Science, Cyber Security.
• Indexing: IEEE Xplore and Ei Compendex.
• Why it's a Deal: Very high acceptance rate for "IEEE Xplore" entry at a fraction of the cost of US-based IEEE conferences.
• Official Website: https://icic-conference.org/
