On 29 January 2016, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched two books: Positioning the ASEAN Community in an Emerging Asia: Thai Perspectives” and ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together. It aimed to enhance ASEAN awareness and understanding of the public to enable them to participate in the ASEAN Community building process, thereby producing tangible outcomes.

Positioning the ASEAN Community in an Emerging Asia: Thai Perspectives elaborates on strategic visions towards the post-2015 ASEAN Community through articles by four Thai ASEAN experts, namely, Mr. Kavi Chongkittavorn, former special assistant to the ASEAN Secretary-General; Dr. Termsak Chalermpalanupap, former Director of Political and Security Cooperation, ASEAN Secretariat; Dr. Suthad Setboonsarng, former Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN; and Mr. Apichai Sunchindah, former Executive Director of the ASEAN Foundation. On the other hand, ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together compiles significant documents, i.e. ASEAN Community Vision 2025, ASEAN Community Blueprints 2016-2025, with Thai translation.

On this occasion, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized a seminar on “The Future of Our ASEAN Community: Beyond 2015 - Towards 2025,” in which all stakeholders, including public and private sectors, academia, CSOs, as well as diplomatic corps were invited to exchange their views with the four Thai ASEAN experts. These views and recommendations would reflect voices of stakeholders, which would contribute to the formulation of Thailand’s strategies and positions towards the ASEAN Community in the next ten years.