ASEAN & Thailand/Vietnam General Knowledge (Video Notes)

100 flashcards covering key facts about Thailand, Vietnam, and ASEAN from the video notes. They mix vocabulary, fill-in-the-blank, and Q&A-style entries in a single flashcard set.

Bangkok

Capital city of Thailand.

Thailand population

Approximately 70 million.

Official language of Thailand

Thai.

Main religion in Thailand

Buddhism (about 95%).

Thailand government type

Constitutional Monarchy.

Current King of Thailand

Rama X (Maha Vajiralongkorn).

Current Prime Minister of Thailand

Srettha Thavisin (2023–present).

Thailand’s former name

Siam (until 1939).

Colonization history of Thailand

Never colonized by the West.

Thailand’s 1932 turning point

Revolution leading to constitutional monarchy.

Rama VII (Prajadhipok)

Last absolute monarch; abdicated in 1935.

Rama VIII (Ananda Mahidol)

Child king; reigned 1935–1946; died mysteriously at age 20.

Songkran Festival

Thai New Year; celebrated in April with water splashing and purification rituals.

Loy Krathong Festival

Festival of Lights; celebrated in November with floating baskets to honor water goddess.

Chut Thai

Traditional Thai clothing with various styles.

Pha Sin

Thai traditional skirt worn by women.

Kitchen of the World

Thailand’s nickname for its food exports.

Thailand’s strong economic sectors

Tourism, agriculture (rice, rubber), electronics, automotive.

Thailand’s main agricultural products

Rice and rubber.

Vietnam location

Eastern Southeast Asia; borders China, Laos, Cambodia.

Vietnam capital

Hanoi.

Vietnam largest city

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

Vietnam population

About 100 million.

Vietnam language

Vietnamese.

Vietnam government

One-party Communist state.

Vietnam current leaders

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong; President To Lam (2024–present); Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

Ho Chi Minh independence declaration

Independence declared in 1945.

Vietnam War period

1955–1975; North vs. South; ended with reunification.

1976 Vietnam

Became the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Tet Festival

Lunar New Year; biggest Vietnamese holiday.

Ao Dai

Long silk tunic with pants.

Ao Tu Than

traditional Vietnamese dress.

Áo Ba Ba

Casual southern Vietnamese outfit.

Đổi Mới reforms

1986 reforms; shift to a market economy.

Vietnam economy today

One of Asia’s fastest-growing economies.

Vietnam key industries

Manufacturing, textiles, electronics, coffee, rice.

ASEAN founded date

August 8, 1967.

ASEAN HQ

Jakarta, Indonesia.

Founding Members (5) of ASEAN

Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand.

Adam Malik

Foreign Minister of Indonesia and a Founding Father of ASEAN.

Tun Abdul Razak

Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister (later PM); Founding Father of ASEAN.

Narciso Ramos

Philippines’ Foreign Minister; Founding Father of ASEAN.

Sinnathamby Rajaratnam

Singapore’s Foreign Minister; Founding Father of ASEAN.

Thanat Khoman

Thailand’s Foreign Minister; Founding Father of ASEAN.

Brunei and ASEAN join date

Brunei joined ASEAN in 1984.

Vietnam and ASEAN join date

Vietnam joined ASEAN in 1995.

Laos and ASEAN join date

Laos joined ASEAN in 1997.

Myanmar and ASEAN join date

Myanmar joined ASEAN in 1997.

Cambodia and ASEAN join date

Cambodia joined ASEAN in 1999.

ASEAN goals (general)

Promote peace, stability, and economic growth.

ASEAN cultural & social cooperation

Part of ASEAN goals to enhance cultural and social ties.

ASEAN principle of non-interference

Non-interference in members’ internal affairs.

ASEAN decision making

Consensus-based decision making.

Treaty of Amity and Cooperation

1976; key development in ASEAN relations.

ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)

1992; reduces tariffs among members.

ASEAN Charter

2007–2008; gave ASEAN legal status.

ASEAN Community launched

2015; created three pillars.

Three pillars of ASEAN Community

Political-Security, Economic, Socio-Cultural.

ASEAN peace achievements

Maintains peace in the region; no wars between members.

ASEAN economy status

5th largest economy in the world.

ASEAN diplomacy role

Central in Asia-Pacific diplomacy.

Myanmar crisis (2021)

Coup and ongoing crisis affecting ASEAN unity.

South China Sea disputes

Ongoing disputes impacting regional security.

Economic inequality among members

A challenge within ASEAN.

Climate change/disasters in ASEAN

Significant regional challenge.

Indonesia leadership (2025)

Prabowo Subianto (President).

Malaysia leadership (2025)

Anwar Ibrahim (Prime Minister); Sultan Ibrahim Ismail (King).

Philippines leadership (2025)

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (President).

Singapore leadership (2025)

Lawrence Wong (Prime Minister); Tharman Shanmugaratnam (President).

Thailand leadership (2025)

Srettha Thavisin (PM); King Rama X.

Brunei leadership (2025)

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

Vietnam leadership (2025)

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong; President To Lam; PM Pham Minh Chinh.

Laos leadership (2025)

President Thongloun Sisoulith; PM Sonexay Siphandone.

Myanmar leadership (2025)

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.

Cambodia leadership (2025)

PM Hun Manet; King Norodom Sihamoni.

Founding Fathers of ASEAN (list)

Adam Malik; Tun Abdul Razak; Narciso Ramos; S. Rajaratnam; Thanat Khoman.

Rama VII abdication year

1935.

Rama VIII year of reign start

1935.

Rama IX succession year

Succeeded Rama VIII in 1946.

Songkran month

April.

Loy Krathong month

November.

Ao Dai (Vietnam)

Long silk tunic with pants (Vietnamese traditional dress).

Rama X reign connection

Current king of Thailand; Rama X.

Srettha Thavisin significance

Current Prime Minister of Thailand (as of notes).

Sultan of Brunei

Hassanal Bolkiah (Sultan).

Nguyen Phu Trong role

General Secretary of Vietnam (2025).

To Lam role in Vietnam

President of Vietnam (as of notes).

Pham Minh Chinh role

Prime Minister of Vietnam (as of notes).

Thongloun Sisoulith role

President of Laos (as of notes).

Sonexay Siphandone role

Prime Minister of Laos (as of notes).

Min Aung Hlaing role

Junta leader of Myanmar (as of notes).

Hun Manet role

Prime Minister of Cambodia (as of notes).

Norodom Sihamoni role

King of Cambodia (as of notes).

ASEAN membership total

10 member countries.

Treaty of Amity & Cooperation year

1976.

AFTA year

1992.

ASEAN Charter year

2007–2008.

ASEAN Community year

2015.

Cultural influences on Vietnam

Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, ancestor worship.

Vietnam’s major export crops

Coffee and rice.