ASEAN: five founders at Bangkok, eleven members and a secretariat in Jakarta
Background
ASEAN was founded on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, through the ASEAN Declaration, also called the Bangkok Declaration.
The founding members were Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Brunei Darussalam joined in 1984, Viet Nam in 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999.
Timor-Leste joined on 26 October 2025, making eleven member states.
The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Founded:
8 August 1967, Bangkok
Member states:
11
Secretariat:
Jakarta, Indonesia
Why it matters for exams: ASEAN's founding date, founding members, membership and headquarters are frequently asked in general-knowledge papers.
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