Born Global: ASEAN

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established in 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand. ASEAN consists of 10 member countries: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. In our #BornGlobal series, we have interviewed Aussies based out of ASEAN to share their inspirational stories.

Meet our members in ASEAN

Blog

Benyamin Ismail: propelling AirAsia X to success

Benyamin Ismail is the CEO of AirAsia X Berhad – long-haul budget airline based in Malaysia and a sister company of AirAsia, the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destinations.

Leanne Hucker: a seasoned hotelier with a wealth of well-rounded hospitality experience

Leanne Hucker is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Rosewood Bangkok an ultra-luxury hotel opening in 2019 in the Thailand capital spearheading Rosewood’s continued growth across South East Asia in the heart of Bangkok.

Amy Reggers: “I am inspired by the committed staff at UN Women who want to see positive change for their country and are prepared to do the hard work to make this change happen.”

Amy Reggers is the International Consultant on Gender and Climate Change Program Development and Research at UN Women based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Andrew Sharman: a versatile architect who will rise up to challenges

Andrew Sharman is an architect at BDA Architecture – an Australian architectural practice which has presence in the Gold Coast and Selangor, Malaysia. Originally from the Gold Coast, Andrew was presented the opportunity in 2012 to relocate to Kuala Lumpur

Meghan Cook: a dedicated public health researcher

Originally from Sydney, Meghan Cook has always been fascinated by the thoughts of moving abroad to expand life experiences and learn about foreign cultures. In June 2018, she made a decision to move to Hanoi, Vietnam, after accepting a placement position under the Australian Volunteers International program, joining Center for Public Health and Environment Research (CENPHER) as a Research Officer.

James Bradbury: serving up delectable medley of Aussie flavours, with a twist

James Bradbury is the Head of Global Culinary at the Minor Food Group– one of the leading casual dining industry players in Asia which manages a number of food outlets including Australian bistro chain The Coffee Club.

Know before you go

Check out Smartraveller advice for Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam – subscribe to updates and register your travel plans here.

Things to do

Kuala Lumpur: Join the long queue to taste banana leaf rice at Kuala Lumpur’s first banana leaf rice shop, Sri Nirwaja Maju .

Bangkok: Get on a boat to experience the authentic floating markets.

Hanoi: Dine at Bún chả Hương Liên – a traditional Hanoi noodle joint where former US President Barack Obama and Anthony Bourdain visited in 2016

Phnom Penh: Indulge in the amazing beauty of sunset in Phnom Penh by joining a rivercruise excursion

Did you know?

Thailand had the most number of tourist arrivals. Nearly 30 million tourists visited Thailand in 2015, making it the most popular among ASEAN countries.
Vietnam has the fastest growing population.
French-educated Cambodian architect Van Molyvann led a profound period of architectural change between Cambodia’s independence in 1953 and 1975, during which he combined elements of the modernism of the 1950s and 1960s with traditional Khmer elements to create Khmer architecture.
Malaysia receives the largest share of inbound international students, followed by Singapore.