On August 8, 1967, ASEAN, or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, was founded in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration by five founding countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
The Foreign Ministers of these five nations—Adam Malik (Indonesia), Narciso R. Ramos (Philippines), Tun Abdul Razak (Malaysia), S. Rajaratnam (Singapore), and Thanat Khoman (Thailand)—gathered their political will at the Bangkok Ministry of Foreign Affairs to sign the document that laid the foundation for this organization. These ministers are also remembered as the Founding Fathers of what is now one of the most successful intergovernmental organizations in the developing world.
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ASEAN Member States Joining Dates
| Country | Date |
|---|---|
| Brunei Darussalam | January 7, 1984 |
| Vietnam | July 28, 1995 |
| Laos | July 23, 1997 |
| Myanmar | July 23, 1997 |
| Cambodia | April 30, 1999 |
As of now, there are ten ASEAN member states. Timor-Leste currently holds observer status and has not yet become a member.
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ASEAN Member States Overview
Brunei Darussalam
Head of state: Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
Capital: Bandar Sri Begawan
Language: Malay (official language)
Currency: Dolar Brunei (B$)
Cambodia
Head of state: King Norodom Sihamoni
Capital: Phnom Penh
Language: Khmer
Currency: Riel (KHR)
Indonesia
Head of state: Joko Widodo
Capital: Jakarta
Language: Bahasa Indonesia
Currency: Rupiah (Rp/IDR)
Lao PDR
Head of state: President Thongloun Sisoulith
Capital: Vientiane
Language: Lao
Currency: Kip (₭) (LAK)
Malaysia
Head of state: Sultan Ibrahim ibni Sultan Iskandar
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Language: Malay (de jure), English (de facto)
Currency: Malaysian Ringgit (RM/MYR)
Myanmar (Burma)
Head of state: "Acting President" Min Aung Hlaing
Capital: Naypyidaw
Language: Burmese
Currency: Kyat (K/MMK)
Philippines
Head of state: President Bongbong Marcos
Capital: Manila
Language: Filipino, English
Currency: Philippine peso (₱/PHP)
Singapore
Head of state: President Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Capital: Singapore
Languages: English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil
Currency: Singapore dollar (S$/SGD)
Thailand
Head of state: King Vajiralongkorn (or Rama X)
Capital: Bangkok
Language: Thai
Currency: Baht (฿/THB)
Viet Nam
Head of state: President To Lam
Capital: Hanoi
Language: Vietnamese
Currency: Vietnamese đồng (₫/VND)
