09:15 EDT Monday, October 05, 2009

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 5, 2009) - Asia Now Resources Corp. (TSX VENTURE:NOW) is pleased to announce that it is speeding up drilling of the Beiya North target by mobilizing two drilling rigs in addition to the two rigs already operating onsite. Beiya North occurs in the middle of a 13 km long by 2 km wide gold belt that hosts the adjacent Beiya Gold Mine with production capacity of up to 100,000 ounces of gold annually, the largest open-pit gold mine in Yunnan Province, China.

The additional drilling is in response to recent assay results that indicated significant gold mineralization and expanded the thick (over 130 meter) gold zone at its Beiya North target area (see news release of September 17). To date, this target has been drilled with 8 widely spaced (160-200 meters) holes, all of which intersected gold mineralization. The gold zone is confirmed to be at least 660 meters long from the border of the adjacent mining license to the south, and open to the northwest, probably including two or more mineralization centers. The aim of the accelerated program is to define the extent and potential resource of the thick gold zone.

The accelerated program will involve 4,000 meters in ten holes in addition to the previously planned 2,000 meters of drilling. The program is expected to be completed by the end of this year with assay results to follow in early 2010. In addition, the Company has also started a detailed geophysical (ground magnetic) program on the potential areas identified from the regional geophysical program completed previously in 2005-2008. This geophysical program will help to define more drilling targets along the 13 km long by 2 km wide gold belt.

The assay results of selected holes from Beiya North are highlighted below:

BYN-ZK252: 6.6 meters grading 2.8g/t gold, 31g/t silver and 0.75% copper; 16.9 meters at 0.55g/t gold, 56.7g/t silver including 3.06 meters at 0.55g/t gold, 125g/t silver and 5.6% lead; 8.3 meters at 0.93g/t gold and 6.4 g/t silver (see news release of September 17, 2009).

BYN-ZK348: 17.8 meters grading 2.2g/t gold, 27g/t silver; 3.0 meters grading 3.2g/t and 23g/t silver; 5.4 meters at 1.9g/t gold and 18.6g/t silver; 10.5 meters at 0.56g/t gold; 16.8 meters at 0.54g/t gold; 8.9 meters at 0.52g/t gold; see news release of February 24, 2009).

BYN-ZK2338: 9.6 meters grading 2.0g/t gold, 34.7g/t silver and 6.7% lead; 11.1 meters at 0.97g/t gold, 20.8g/t silver and 3.3% lead; 5.5 meters at 0.5g/t gold, 40.7g/t silver and 1.9% lead (see news release of September 17, 2009).

BYN-ZK3: 52 meters grading 1.1g/t gold, 27.4g/t silver; 3.9 meters at 6.5g/t gold and 47g/t silver; 0.92 meters at 23.5g/t gold and 54g/t silver; 16.2 meters at 0.53 g/t gold and 20g/t silver (see news release of October 29, 2007).

Asia Now has earned 72% with the possibility of increasing to 90% its interest in the Beiya North property where the Company is currently drilling. Beiya North is part of the Beiya project that involves two joint venture companies. Beiya North is part of the joint venture with Yunnan Non-Ferrous Geology and Mineral Resources Company Limited. The Company is earning a 70-88% interest in another joint venture with Yunnan Geology and Mineral Resources Company Limited. The Beiya project is 60 km by highway north of the city of Dali, which is a 35 minute flight from Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan. There are several daily flights, a railway and a paved highway between the two cities. The Beiya property is one of two key projects the Company is exploring in China.

Asia Now Resources Corp. also announces that it has granted options to purchase up to an aggregate of 3,350,000 common shares of the Corporation to directors, officers, employees and consultants at the exercise price of $0.25 per share. The options will expire on September 10th, 2014, are subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.