Asean summit to be held in Thailand’s Hua Hin city

August 14th, 2009 BANGKOK - The venue for the October summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been shifted away from Phuket because of its conflict with the Thai island's piercings-laden vegetarian festival, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said Friday. Phuket's Vegetarian Festival, of Hindu origin, involves gruesome body piercing, including running sharp objects through the cheeks, by participants who purportedly fall into a trancelike state to allow gods of Chinese origin to enter them as they march in white robes through the island's main town.

July 22nd, 2009 PHUKET - Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday held talks here with his counterparts from 16 countries of the East Asia Summit (EAS), setting the stage for India's seventh summit with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) in October.

July 22nd, 2009 PHUKET - India Wednesday made a strong pitch for a pan-Asian response to global challenges like financial meltdown and terrorism as it gets ready to sign a free trade area (FTA) agreement in goods at its next summit with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Thailand in October. "The steady diversification of our relationship with ASEAN countries is, therefore, a natural process and for us, a matter of deep satisfaction," India's External Affairs Minister S.M.

April 12th, 2009 BANGKOK - Thailand's government declared a state of emergency in Bangkok Sunday after arresting a leader of protests that forced the cancellation of an ASEAN summit the day before. Prime Minister Vejjajiva Abhisit said the government took the decision because the problems threatening stability were escalating.

April 11th, 2009 PATTAYA - A meeting between China and the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN) on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit was postponed as anti-government and pro-government protesters clashed at the summit venue here, acting government spokesman Panithan Watanayagorn said. 'We don't want the incident to happen.

April 11th, 2009 PATTAYA - Thai officials decided to cancel a summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Saturday after anti-government protesters broke into the summit venue at Pattaya, a resort town 100 km south of Bangkok. The Thai government said the summit between ASEAN members and six dialogue partners, including China, Japan and India, was postponed and would be held in about two months.

April 10th, 2009 PATTAYA - About 100 Thai anti-government protesters broke through an army cordon here Friday and marched to the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit. Thousands of red-shirted protesters blocked all roads leading to the Royal Cliff Beach Resort.

April 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Ahead of the ASEAN and an East Asia summit, India Thursday underlined the need for developing regional synergies to deal with the global financial crisis of 'unprecedented dimensions'. Commerce Minister Kamal Nath will represent India at the its summit meeting with 10-nation Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to be held at Pattaya in Thailand Saturday.

March 27th, 2009 AGARTALA - Members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will intensify business with the eight northeastern states of India, diplomats said here Friday. 'Traders, businessmen and investors of ASEAN countries are interested in building close ties with the India's northeastern states to strengthen economic relations and promote trade and business,' Indonesian ambassador in India Andi Mohammad Ghalib told reporters.

March 1st, 2009 HUA HIN - ASEAN leaders Sunday stressed the necessity of proactive and decisive actions to restore market confidence and ensure continued financial stability as the global economic downturn was deepening. The leaders, who gathered in Thailand's central seaside resort of Hua Hin for the 14th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), agreed to stand firm against protectionism and to refrain from introducing and raising new barriers, a statement said.

February 28th, 2009 Cha-AM - Efforts to set up a human rights body for the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) got off to a bad start Saturday with Myanmar and Cambodia blocking their civil society representatives from attending the talks. The 14th ASEAN Summit being held in Cha-am, 130 km southwest of Bangkok, has been billed as the most 'inclusive' meeting of the 42-year-old South-East Asian grouping to date.

February 15th, 2009 JAKARTA - US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will visit the headquarters of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) here Wednesday. This is the first visit by a US Secretary of State to the ASEAN Secretariat, a press release issued here Monday by the secretariat said.

January 25th, 2009 BANGKOK - A free trade agreement (FTA) between India and South-East Asia will be signed at the upcoming summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) if the Thai parliament approves the pact, officials said Monday. 'The ASEAN economic ministers have invited the Indian commerce minister to sign the FTA Feb 26,' said Tharit Charungvat, Thai foreign ministry spokesman.

January 24th, 2009 BANGKOK - A free trade agreement between India and South-east Asia is expected to be signed at the upcoming summit of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (Asean), state-run media reported Sunday. Director-general Apiradi Tantraporn of Thailand's Foreign Trade Department said the pact was planned for the 14th Asean Summit scheduled Feb 27-March 1 at Hua Hin beach resort, 130 km south-west of Bangkok, the Thai News Agency reported.

January 18th, 2009 KUALA LUMPUR - India is likely to sign a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the 14th summit of the bloc slated for February in Thailand. Thailand's Nation newspaper said that India would submit a letter to the Thai Commerce Ministry later Monday, saying it will sign the long-awaited FTA with ASEAN during next month's summit.