On Tuesday September 22nd, Assistant Professor Sarote Phornprapha’s Leadership in Organizations MBA class welcomed 4 speakers from the Royal Thai government to discuss the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).

The speakers included: Dr. Suriya Chindawongse, Deputy Director-General, Department of ASEAN Affairs; Col. Pornpott Medrawutinan, Director, Policy and Plans Division, Office of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Defence; Ms. Chotima Iemsawasdikul, Director of ASEAN Affairs section, Bureau of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Commerce; and Mr. Siripong Sriarkha, International Relations Officer, ASEAN Division, Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

The speakers described the 3 pillars of the AEC: ASEAN Political Security Community; ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community; and ASEAN Economic Community. Dr. Chindawongse noted that the AEC is an initiative to move towards a “rules-based community” and that the AEC will ultimately strengthen laws so that everything is more predictable for business investment. While he noted that Thailand has implemented 94% of the measures that need to be completed by the end of 2015, the average for ASEAN is 90%, so the AEC will “go as fast as its slowest country.”