Integrity Legal

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that Apple Inc. and the Korean firm Samsung are apparently working in cooperation in order to fashion the next generation of PC tablets. In order to provide further insight it is necessary to quote directly from The Korea Herald via the Asia News Network:

Apple Inc’s chief operating officer Tim Cook discussed adopting Samsung’s AMOLED display technology for tablet PCs during his recent visit to South Korea, industry sources said…Tim Cook is not only the COO, but also acting CEO of Apple. During Cook’s trip last week, Apple seems to have offered Samsung an advance for the AMOLED displays, the source said…

It is recommended by the administration of this blog that readers click upon the hyperlinks noted above to read this article in further detail.

As technology continues to be a defining component of a more dynamic global economy there is hope that cooperation between American and Asian technology firms will result in further technological as well as economic advances. Concurrently, such cooperation is likely to also manifest itself in the form of better computing platforms for the general public.

It is interesting to note that while Northern Asia, especially Northeastern Asia has seen industrial advances the Southeast Asian region continues to show growth in the agricultural sector. This has arguably been the case in the Kingdom of Thailand for quite some time. However, there seems to be evidence to indicate that agricultural growth is expanding into the neighboring countries, such as Cambodia, which also happen to be members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Most notably, it would appear that a company in the Kingdom of Thailand is poised to undertake a new venture in the Kingdom of Cambodia with the aim of increasing rice production therein. For further elucidation this blogger must quote directly from the official website of The Bangkok Post:

Asia Golden Rice Co, Thailand’s second-largest rice exporter, has mapped out a 1.5-billion-baht rice investment in Cambodia in a bid to expand regionally…The plan includes modern, fully equipped milling and processing plants with a capacity to process up to one million tonnes of rice per year, and is considered a milestone investment in rice industry of Cambodia, the world’s sixth largest rice exporter…

It is once again recommended that readers click upon the hyperlinks noted above to read further on these developments in detail.

The overall ramifications of this plan remain to be seen. That stated, there is certainly room for speculation that a venture such as the one described above could have positive benefits for ASEAN as well as Asia as a whole. Since many countries around the globe import rice from Southeast Asia one could surmise that increased production could drive down the cost of rice internationally and thereby benefit rice consumers around the world.

For related information please see: ASEAN.

Tags: American Business, ASEAN, ASEAN Business, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Cambodia Business, Korea Business, Thai Business, Thailand Business
Posted in American Business, ASEAN Business, Cambodia Business, News, Thailand Business, Thailand company, US Business, US Mission ASEAN | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the President of Taiwan has won his recent bid for re-election. In order to shed further light upon these developments it is necessary to quote directly from the website of Asia News Network:

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou yesterday defeated rivals Tsai Ing-wen and James Soong sweeping more than 51 per cent of the presidential vote. The incumbent garnered more than 6.68 million votes to win another four year term after a re-election campaign that relied heavily on its China-friendly platform.

This blogger recommends that readers click upon the hyperlinks noted above in order to gain further insight into these developments.

It is often unwise to try to analyze the politics of Taiwan especially when comparing that jurisdiction to China. However, both Taiwan and China are very important players in an increasingly expanding and broad Asian economic landscape. Therefore, to ignore either jurisdiction may be unwise.

Concurrently, it would appear as though the Mainland Chinese economy is experiencing a slowdown of sorts. To quote directly from an article posted on the website of the Thai-ASEAN News Network:

Export growth slowed to 13.4% in December compared with a year earlier, down from 13.8% the previous month, while Chinese imports grew only 11.8% over December 2010, well below the 17% consensus prediction in a Reuters survey of economists…Fourth-quarter 2011 data for gross domestic product (GDP), to be published next week, are now expected to the worst for at least two years. Economic growth may have slowed to 8.7% from a year earlier, according a survey by Bloomberg News, which reports that UBS AG estimates 7.7% growth this quarter…

Readers are strongly encouraged to read this article in detail for further information.

Although it is difficult to say for certain whether any of these forecasts will actually result in an overall slowdown of the Chinese economy this blogger merely finds it interesting to peruse Chinese trends, both political and economic, because such trends can have an impact upon the Southeast Asian region. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is becoming an increasing potent economic conglomeration especially since it encompasses dynamic economies such as the Kingdom of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam along with emerging economies such as Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. The “ripple effect” of the different Asian economic strategies can often lead to unforeseen consequences across the pan-Asia spectrum. In any event, simple speculation is sometimes an interesting pastime for both outsiders as well as those well versed in the multifaceted nature of Asian economics.

For information regarding legal matters in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

Tags: ASEAN, ASEAN Economics, ASEAN economies, Asian Economy, China Business, China economics, China Economy, Chinese economics, Kingdom of Cambodia, Kingdom of Thailand, Pan-Asian Economics, Taiwan election, Taiwan Presidential Election
Posted in ASEAN Business, China Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that new attention is apparently being directed toward the positive aspects of backpacking in Southeast Asia. In order to shed further light upon these developments it is necessary to quote directly from an article posted on the official website of the Sydney Morning Herald:

Every now and then on the Laos hippy trail you spy a traveller wearing a T-shirt that reads “Been There Don Det”. Most people think it is yet another pun based on the ‘hilarities’ of the language barrier (see “Same Same But Different”) but actually it’s an inside joke for those who had ventured far enough south to visit a small island hidden in the mist of the Mekong River. South of the capital Vientiane, the Mekong breaks its banks creating an anarchic sprawl of islands called Si Phan Don, which translates to “4000 Islands”.

The administration of the web log recommends that these readers click on the relevant hyperlinks noted above to read this truly insightful article in further detail.

On a related note, it also came to this blogger’s attention that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) appear to have signed a memorandum of understanding with India in an effort to boost tourism in the Southern Asia region. For further elucidation it is necessary to quote directly from The Jakarta Post via the Asia News Network:

Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and India have agreed to promote cooperation in tourism to help boost travel between the subcontinent and the Southeast Asian region. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on tourism cooperation was signed by Aseantourism ministers and their counterpart during Asean Tourism Forum in Manado, North Sulawesi, on Thursday…

Again, the administration of this blog recommends that readers click on the hyperlinks noted above to gain full insight into this developing story.

Tourism seems to have been a traditional source of revenue in the for both the Kingdom of Thailand and the Greater ASEAN region. Hopefully the signing of the memorandum noted above will provide economic benefits for both the ASEAN region as well as the Indian Sub-Continent. That stated, with the increasing velocity of economic expansion in Asia as a whole there is strong evidence to suggest that tourism may prove to be simply a gateway to further economic integration between all of the global economies. How these trends will play out in the future remains to be seen. However, the benefits of tourism could arguably be a true “win-win” situation for both the tourist as well as the host nation. ASEAN itself is a prime example of how tourism and increasing levels of tourists can lead to more robust levels of economic activity as a whole.

For further information regarding legal issues in Southeast Asia please see: Legal.

For more general insights regarding visa issues in Thailand please see: Thai Visa.

Tags: ASEAN region, ASEAN Tourism, Asian Tourism, ASsociation of Southeast ASian Nations, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Tourism, India, Indian Sub-Continent, Indian Tourism, Kingdom of Thailand, Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, Thai Visa, Thailand Visa
Posted in ASEAN Business, ASEAN Visa, Cambodia Business, India Business, Indonesia Business, Laos Business, Malaysia Business, Myanmar (Burma) Business, Thailand Business, Thailand Visa, Vietnam Business | No Comments »

It recently came to this blogger’s attention that the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand made no comment regarding the possibility of a Cabinet reshuffle although she did note that attendance at upcoming children’s day festivities is apparently encouraged by the Thai government. To quote directly from the official website of the Thai-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) News Network at Tannetwork.tv:

“Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra avoided answering questions about a possible Cabinet reshuffle today and only smiled at reporters...The PM added that she would like to invite children to attend the Children’s Day celebration on Saturday at Government House as she has prepared some surprises for the kids…”

Concurrently it also came to this blogger’s attention that the government of Canada seems to have made some comments regarding same sex marriages performed in that nation. To quote directly from the website Advocate.com:

“Thousands of non-resident same-sex couples married in Canada may not be legally wed if the marriage is not recognized in their home country or state, according to the Canadian government…”

The issues surrounding the status of same sex couples has been an issue of debate in the United States of America especially as the Presidential elections continue to draw closer. However, politics does not appear to be the core concern of those who are the most effected by these issues. For example, those families wishing to maintain a same sex bi-national relationship with a non-American in the United States could be deeply impacted by both American and Canadian policy regarding same sex marriage. This issue could further be hypothetically defined where the same sex marriage (or civil union depending upon the jurisdiction) takes place outside of the United States as such a fact pattern could place the merits of the marriage under the purview of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). How this issue will ultimately be resolved in North America remains to be seen, there is one thing that seems to be a certainty: this issue is not one that will simply disappear since there are many in the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) Community who wish to see full equality in matters reflecting their marital status. American Courts have dealt with this issue in recent months although a definitive decision does not seem to have been reached hopefully this issue will be resolved in short order.

For related information please see: Full Faith and Credit Clause.

For general legal information pertaining to South East Asia please: Legal.

Tags: American Visa, American Visa Thailand, Children's Day, CR-1 Visa, Full Faith and Credit, Horizontal Full Faith and Credit, IR-1 Visa, K-1 Visa, Legal, Thai Visa, Thailand Visa, United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, us embassy bangkok, us embassy thailand, US Visa, US Visa Thailand, USCIS, Vertical Full Faith and Credit
Posted in Comprehensive Immigration Reform, CR1 Visa, Department of Homeland Security, Fiance Visa Thailand, General Legal Information, IR1 Visa, K-3 Visa Thailand, K1 Visa, K1 Visa Thailand, K2 Visa, K2 Visa Thailand, K3 Visa, Legal Opinion, lgbt immigration, Miscellaneous, News, same sex visa, States' Rights, US Consulate Chiang Mai, us embassy bangkok, US Embassy Cambodia, US Embassy Hanoi, US Embassy Phnom Phen, US Embassy Thailand, US Embassy Vietnam, US Mission ASEAN, US Visa, US Visa and Immigration, US Visa Thailand, USCIS | No Comments »