In 1997, leaders of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations plus China, Japan and South Korea attended an informal summit which began the ASEAN+3 cooperation. Since then, the extent of this cooperation has expanded to include a wide range of political, social and economic areas. This special set of three books begins by introducing the organisation, key principles and functions of ASEAN and ASEAN+3. Each book in the set is essentially a guide to a different aspect of the ASEAN+3 member countries – people, business and travel – and provides a useful profile for each of those 13 states. In the 'People' book, the profiles provide valuable insights into each country's peoples, histories and leaders. In the 'Business' book, the profiles offer guidance about the economy, investment opportunities and working culture. In the 'Travel' book, meanwhile, the profiles highlight the top hotels, restaurants and tourist sites. The three illustrated guides are primarily aimed at business travellers and are written by top regional correspondents. The set was produced in collaboration with the regional bank KASIKORNBANK, to coincide with the upcoming integrated market of ASEAN, known as the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
