• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.269-303
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• 2022

Since the creation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967, the main objective of creating a "prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations" through regional integration remains slow. While the aims and purposes of the ASEAN include accelerating, promoting active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters concerning culture and cultural development, the desired ASEAN Integration through culture is still in question. As a multicultural region, the richness and diversity of cultures constitute both prospects and challenges. This paper discusses 1) the concept of integration vis-a-vis the ASEAN; 2) the ASEAN's goals, policies, and initiatives, concerning culture as stipulated in the key documents of ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community-Culture and Arts sector; and 3) the ASEAN identity and community vis-a-vis culture. In the end, this paper proposes a framework on the ASEAN integration through culture in the context of a single identity amidst cultural diversity.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.155-184
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• 2017

ASEAN marking its 50th anniversary in 2017 draws hopes and concerns. There is hope for the full realization of the vision of ASEAN Community since 2015 while there are increasing concerns about the changing internal and external environments. This article reviews the process of ASEAN's community building and its external relations. First, after reviewing institutionalization and functional cooperation in 2016, it argues that there is increasing pressure for the modification of the 'ASEAN Way' mainly due to the recent political changes in some ASEAN member states. Second, this article considers the nature of ASEAN's external relation focusing on continuity rather than change. The tendency of external relations of ASEAN appears to be 'avoiding conflict' and 'status quo' while it concentrates on development cooperation. We argue that such attitude contributes to the unity of ASEAN as it is useful in searching for regional resilience which is a common goal of ASEAN power elites.

• Asian Journal for Public Opinion Research
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.40-62
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• 2015

The main objective of this study was to investigate the awareness and perception of young professionals in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam countries on the ASEAN Economic Community (hereafter, AEC). Data from a survey of 575 young professionals, with approximately equal distribution from each country, were collected in June and July 2015. Research findings revealed that the knowledge and understanding of the AEC among the Gen Y professionals were still marginal. Although they lack awareness, young professionals had a good impression and perception of the AEC in connection with important benefits for them individually as well as for their country. Finally, the study revealed that the Gen Y professionals showed some level of optimistic attitude that they could succeed in the AEC as they thought that they were quite well prepared, having sufficient skills to work or to do business in other ASEAN countries.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.119-145
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• 2018

Celebrating its $50^{th}$ anniversary in 2017, the leaders of ASEAN member sates have adopted a series of declarations and action plans for enhancing its institutional capability and functional cooperation. ASEAN's convening power is expected to underpin its centrality and resilience. Meanwhile, ASEAN's retreat from democracy has increasingly become a hindrance for its further development. This article reviews the process of ASEAN's community building and its external relations. First, it argues that there is increasing concerns over ASEAN's limited capability in dealing with regional issues mainly caused by the deprivation of human rights and the democracy in crisis. Second, this article considers the dynamics of ASEAN's external relations mainly focusing on its relations with China, the United States, and South Korea. The South China Sea issue and China's increasing economic influence in the region have contributed to the complexity of ASEAN-China relations. The ASEAN's responses to the shift in American foreign policy under the Trump administration posits the unity of ASEAN. The New Southern Policy initiated by South Korean President, Moon Jae-in appears to be a new focal point of Korea-ASEAN relations despite considerable challenges, which requires to maintain ASEAN centrality.

• The Southeast Asian review
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.139-203
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• 2011

This paper attempts to review of recent development of ASEAN financial integration and to evaluate it and predict its future aspect. For this purpose, we first examine the historic aspect of ASEAN financial integration such as ASEAN financial service open agreement or ASEAN capital market forum report and currently agreed integration plan. In addition, we study the development stages of ASEAM member countries in terms of its economic size or income level. Finally, we look at the financial market and institutional aspect of ASEAN member countries and the recent development of global financial market. From these analyses, we find several important facts. First, it is true that ASEAN, in general, will enjoy the effect of expanding regional investment and improving the quality of financial service through the financial integration. We think that its long term benefit is too large for ASEAN member states to avoid. Second, as a result, it is certain that ASEAN will corporate further to make its financial market to be integrated in the future. Third, however, despite these benefits and continuing efforts, we expect that it will be very difficult for ASEAN to reach a stage of financial integration as suggested in the Blueprint of ASEAN Economic Community by the year of 2015. The large difference among member states in term of economic and financial development will not allow for them to reach a single goal within a short time. Instead, we expect the following scenario for the integration process will hold. First, ASEAN will reach an agreement on the institutional framework by 2015 and afterwards, slowly the markets will begin to integrate. Second, at the earlier stage, not all but some countries will start the integration process. We expect that the financial market of ASEAN 5 will first be integrated and other 5 will join to it later.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.8 no.8
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• pp.47-56
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• 2021

ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was established in 2015 from 10 countries to realize the ultimate (adopted in 1997), which aimed to transform ASEAN into a stable, prosperous, and highly competitive region with equitable economic development, reduced poverty, and socioeconomic disparities. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of knowledge level on the AEC of Vietnamese small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the textile and apparel industry towards attitudes, readiness, and performance. This study uses convenience sampling to get questionnaires from 150 SMEs in Hanoi, Vietnam. Then, the paper applies SPSS-AMOS 24 to process data. The empirical results show that AEC's implementation only has a small impact on improving SME performance. However, SMEs have adequate knowledge, attitude, and readiness about AEC. The structural modeling findings indicate that the knowledge factor has an indirect effect on SMEs' performance. This finding is to provide new insight into the roles of attitude and readiness in the case of Vietnam. These factors are needed to mediate the effect of attitudes and readiness in the relationship between knowledge and business performance, a framework strategy of business organizations, and can be used as a conceptual model to improve SMEs' performance.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.3-22
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• 2014

View of the recent expansion of ASEAN, Korea must take some measure to cope with them. This paper is aim for suggesting on commercial cooperation between Korea and ASEAN through transition of ASEAN. Generally speaking Southeast Asia can be divided into mainland Southeast Asia and maritime Southeast Asia. ASEAN is association Southeast Asian nations. Korea has been a dialogue partner of ASEAN since 1991, and through the ASEAN plus three try to come true East Asian cooperation. but the level of public awareness of Korea in ASEAN remains very low to compare with China and Japan. Korea and ASEAN have not become the closest of friends in East Asian even though the two are good commercial partners. Korean ODA for ASEAN must be linked with Korean firm's trade and investment for ASEAN to show synergy effect. Korea should analyze ASEAN's plan for ASEAN Economic Community and find potential development needs of ASEAN. Korea and ASEAN want to become ASIA's FTA Hub. such as great vision can come true if Korea cooperate sincerely with ASEAN.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.89-110
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• 2020

Singapore and Thailand have been rapidly ageing. There has been a growing demand for eldercarers in the home-setting for which migrant domestic workers have filled the role. This paper examines the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Consensus governing women migrant workers entering the eldercare sector. It argues that because the ASEAN Consensus is not legally binding, it only serves to reinforce the sovereignty of states in the treatment of migrant workers instead of member states acting in unison to ensure labour protections for this group; as a result, Singapore and Thailand do not feel the need to step up protections for this group of workers according to national labor laws and hence low-skilled women migrant workers entering the eldercare sector continue to be vulnerable to labour abuses. Thus as with globalization, the ASEAN Economic Community manifests the paradox of borders: that while states are economically interconnected and interdependent, they are simultaneously disconnected and independent from each other.

• SUVANNABHUMI
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.19-52
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• 2020

Southeast Asianists have a perennial tendency to question the reality of the region in which they are specialized. Yet while scholars have doubted, Southeast Asians at large have become increasingly sure that Southeast Asia does exist, and increasingly inclined to identify with it. This article summarizes a range of evidence to that effect, from opinion poll research and from the history of ASEAN and other pan-Southeast Asian institutions, and uses it to construct a critique of the relativistic view that Southeast Asia is a fluid and ill-defined concept. Southeast Asians today tend to see Southeast Asia as a cultural as well as a geographical and institutional unit. The nature of the perceived cultural unity remains unclear, and further research is called for in this area. There are reasons to think, however, that it reflects real inheritances from a shared past, as well as shared aspirations for the future.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.10
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• pp.875-884
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• 2020

Thailand has a rapidly growing pharmaceutical sector, which is the eighth largest in the Asia-Pacific region and one of the largest and most developed among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. This study examines how to provide the most appropriate approach to enhance Thailand's pharmaceutical services to dispense medicine to end consumers. The main objective is to determine the most appropriate corporate image for Thai Pharmacy Retail Stores (PRSs) for entering the ASEAN market community. An exploratory mixed-method design characterized by qualitative and quantitative phases of data collection and analysis and the linking of data from these two separate data strands was adopted to conduct an in-depth interview with pharmacists and the owner of pharmacy retail stores as well as 405 respondents who had visited a pharmacy retail store and interacted with pharmacists during the previous year. The multiple linear regression (MLR) was applied to analyze the relative influences of perceived service quality and the cultural dimension on the corporate image. Findings reveal that the perceived service quality and cultural dimension contribute 50% towards the corporate image, and the perceived service quality had more effect than cultural dimension. This study mainly focuses on PRSs in Thailand, while the findings show other analyses concerning how to successfully create and promote an effective PRS image for ASEAN markets.