I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Kishore Mahbubani speak live a few months ago and just came across this article stating his viewpoints on ASEAN. As a region it is doing tremendously well despite all the issues that plague developing  countries, and in my mind as an investment destination is a no-brainer. See below for snippets and a link to the entire article.

In our view, ASEAN’s three greatest contributions are peace, prosperity, and geopolitical stability for Southeast Asia. Each of these accomplishments is remarkable; considered in aggregate, they are astonishing.

Growth and expanding trade have brought tangible benefits for Southeast Asia’s people. In 2012, ASEAN’s GDP per capita reached $3,748, more than double the 2000 figure of $1,172.5 Over the last ten years, poverty levels across the region have plummeted. In Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam, the proportion of the population living on less than $1.25 a day fell to 16 percent in 2010, from 45 percent in 2000. In the rest of ASEAN over the same period, the numbers living below the poverty line declined to 15 percent, from 29 percent.

Source: Mckinsey