Team- South Asia

Kari Brooks Ada Brazear Michelle Frambes Lavonne Thorpe Matthew Walriven

Applied Workplace Writing AIS 3070-002 September 27, 2013 Professor Ana Madani

Team
Congratulations on being chosen to represent us in our overseas presence! We appreciate your efforts and wish you safe travels. Contained in this packet is some information necessary for traveling in your South Asia assignment.

South Asia
The general are you will be visiting is South Asia, a beautiful land filled with mountains and tropical forests. A large majority of this area is made up of a peninsula surrounded by the Pacific and Indian Oceans, consisting of around 20,000 islands. South Asia is made up of eleven countries, four of which we will be visiting. We have provided information for: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago straddling the equator, comprising approximately 17,508

islands of which only about 6,000 are inhabited. The largest islands are Sumatra, Java (the most populous), Bali, Kalimantan (Indonesia's part of Borneo), Sulawesi (Celebes), the Nusa Tenggara islands, the Moluccas Islands, and Irian Jaya (also called West Papua), the western part of New Guinea. Its neighbor to the north is Malaysia and to the east is Papua New Guinea. (Indonesia, 2013) Indonesia, part of the ring of fire, has the largest number of active volcanoes in the world. Earthquakes are frequent. The country has extensive natural resources, including crude oil, natural gas, tin, copper, and gold. Major export commodities include oil and gas, electrical appliances, plywood, rubber, and textiles. Indonesia's major imports include machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, and foodstuffs. Indonesia still struggles with poverty and unemployment, inadequate infrastructure, corruption, a complex regulatory environment, and unequal resource distribution among regions. The government in 2013 faces the ongoing challenge of improving Indonesias insufficient infrastructure to remove impediments to economic growth, labor unrest over wages, and reducing its fuel subsidy program in the face of high oil prices (Central Intelligence Agency, 2013).

Malaysia
Malaysia is a colorful country rich in history, geography, culture, diversity and economy. Located in the southern hemisphere below China, Malaysia covers 329,758 square kilometers and boasts a population of 28.3 million. It consists of three federal territories and thirteen states. The China Sea separates the federal territory of Peninsular Malaysia from the other two territories, East Malaysia and Labuar. Peninsular Malaysia contains the capital, Kuala Lumpur,

and is bordered by Thailand to the north and Singapore to the south. The countrys various landscapes consist of modern urban cities, lush tropical rain forests, rugged mountains, ancient reefs and sandy beaches. Malaysias diversity is a result of its role in and location along the international spice route and is primarily occupied by the Chinese, Indian, and Malays people. Historically, its inhabitants were sea farers, farmers, cattle-breeders, hunters and nomads. Several tribes were even known to participate in head hunting, however, that practice no longer exists. Religions regularly practiced include Islam, Theravada Buddhism, and Christianity. Like most of the world, Malaysia was hit hard by the economy in the late 2000s. However, it is bouncing back and boasts many large industries. Malaysia supplies computer disk drives, palm oil, rubber and timber to the majority of the world and is its largest producer. More recently, the country is actively growing and promoting its tourism industry.

Thailand
Thailand, officially the Royal Kingdom of Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia formerly known as Siam. It boasts a healthy population of nearly 70 million. Bangkok is the capital city and Chiang Mai is an important educational and cultural center in northern Thailand. Thailand is a popular travel destination with tourist facilities available throughout much of the country. Political and civil unrest has at times been a problem affecting travel to Thailand, and political demonstrations take place with some frequency. Thailand is a Southeast Asian nation at the center of the Indochina peninsula. It borders Myanmar (Burma) to the northwest, Laos to the northeast, Cambodia to the southeast and Malaysia to the south. Thailand has significant coastlines, both on the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with the King as head of state and the prime minister as head of government. The monarchy is an integral and respected part of Thai society and is protected by a vigorously enforced lse majest law, which makes it a crime to commit any offense or insult against the royal family. Known as Siam until 1939, Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country never to have been colonized by a foreign power, and is fiercely proud of the fact. A revolution in 1932 led to a constitutional monarchy. During World War II, while Japan conquered the rest of Southeast Asia, only Thailand was able to avoid Japanese conquest due to smart political moves. In alliance with Japan during World War II, Thailand became a US ally following the conflict. After a string of military dictatorships and quickly toppled civilian Prime Ministers, Thailand finally stabilized into a fair approximation of a democracy and the economy boomed through tourism and industry. Above it all presided King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), the world's longest-reigning monarch and a deeply loved and respected figure of near-mythic proportions. Thailands economy is heavily dependent on exports, which make up nearly 60% of GDP. The Thai economy keeps growing at a good rate. Agriculture is the backbone of the Thai economy, employing about 60% of Thailand's labor force. Rice is the country's most important crop and a major exporter in the world rice market. Besides rice, other significant agricultural products including fish and fishery products, tapioca, rubber, corn, and sugar. Exports of processed foods such as canned tuna, pineapples, and frozen shrimp are all increasing. Manufacturing is a growth sector with computers, electronics, garments and footwear, furniture, wood products, canned food, toys, plastic products, gems, and jewelry all exhibiting quick growth. High-technology products such as integrated circuits and parts, electrical appliances, and vehicles are now leading Thailand's export growth.

The United States is Thailand's largest export market and second-largest supplier after Japan. While Thailand's traditional major markets have been North America, Japan, and Europe, economic recovery among Thailand's regional trading partners is becoming more important. Machinery and parts, vehicles, electronic integrated circuits, chemicals, crude oil and fuels, and iron and steel are among Thailand's principal imports.

Vietnam
Those traveling to Vietnam can expect a culture heavily influenced by China, with some French influence. Officially known as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the country has a long history of war and rebellion. Vietnam became independent from China in 938 AD and remained so until it was colonized by the French in 1887. Vietnam was later occupied by Japan, and eventually split into two opposing states. In 1976 following the Vietnam War the two states were unified into the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In the time since the Vietnam War the Vietnamese economy has been rapidly growing and incorporating itself into the global economy. The country is moving from a centrally-planned economy to a market economy. It is estimated that Vietnam will become the 35th largest economy in the world. Economic reforms and international partnerships have contributed to these gains. Major exports include crude oil, cashew nuts, rice and black pepper. Vietnam is now one of Asia's most open economies (wikipedia, 2013). Main imports include electronics, steel, machinery and equipment. When conducting business in Vietnam its not unusual to deal with government officials. Continual, direct contact with the ministry officials responsible for granting or approving your permits and licenses is very important (wikipedia, 2013). The national language is Vietnamese,

so it may be worthwhile to have a reliable interpreter. The dong is the currency used, however the US dollar is virtually accepted everywhere as a second currency.

General Information
Along with information about each country you will be visiting, we have compiled an orientation of things you need to know about traveling and living abroad.

Passports
Passports are required to travel outside of the United States. If you do not currently have a passport, click on the passport tab at http://travel.state.gov/ for step by step instructions. Obtaining a passport can take approximately 4-6 weeks and costs $135. If you have a passport, please note that some of the countries we are visiting mandate that the passport must be good for an additional 6 months after your anticipated return date.

Immunizations and medicine

We recommend following all US Center for Disease Control (CDC) travel recommendations. Immunizations can be obtained through your primary care provider or through Ohio Department of Health Travel Clinics. We will reimburse employees for any costs not covered by our insurance. Employees should fill existing prescriptions and bring enough of their prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to carry them through until the return to the US. The CDC also recommends bringing anti-diarrhea medicine and antibiotics with you.

Salary, insurance and benefits

Your salary, insurance and benefits will continue at the same level as today. Our insurance plan covers employees working in a foreign country. If an employee seeks medical care, they will need to file claim with our insurance carrier. The carrier will pay at the in-network benefit level and base it on the exchange rate as of the date of service. We suggest employees seek necessary medical care at facilities that are on the Joint Commission International List, which will be provided to you.

Housing and food

Employees can stay in company housing, similar to US apartments, located close to our offices in each of the countries you will be visiting. Cafeterias are located in our offices which serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Employees are welcome to dine in local establishments at their own cost. According to the CDC, the food in South Asia is generally safe to eat. However, they do recommend being careful with road stand and sidewalk vendors as well as drinking bottled water.

Home visits
We will cover one trip home every 6 months as well as emergency visits.

Cultural training and preparation

South Asia countries have varied and numerous cultures, languages, customs, religions and laws. As such, we are contracting with a company that specializes in inter-cultural training for expatriates. The cultural training will include pairing each of you with a mentor who has experience in South Asia as well as in the US. In addition, we will provide language translators for your tablet computers. Please look for more information in the next few weeks.

Safety
The CDC recommends you take all normal precautions when traveling outside of the US. According to the CDC, Motor vehicle crashes are the #1 killer of healthy US citizens in foreign countries. Be especially careful when traveling and only use official transportation including taxis, buses and trains. Be sure to use seat belts and helmets, avoid nighttime travel and do not travel in vehicles that are overloaded. Lastly, be sure to register with the US Embassies in each country by signing up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). We will provide a list of local embassies prior to leaving.

References

BBC. (2013, May 7). Malaysia Profile. Retrieved September 17, 2013, from BBC News: AsiaPacific: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-1539176 Crislip, K. (2013). What is a Passport? Retrieved from About.com-Student Travel: http://studenttravel.about.com/od/uspassports/f/what-is-a-passport.htm Economy of Vietnam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved September 18, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Vietnam Health Information for Travelers to Vietnam - Traveler view | Travelers' Health | CDC. (n.d.). Retrieved August 2013, from http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/vietnam Retherford, E. (n.d.). How to Get a Travel Visa. Retrieved from USA Today: http://traveltips.usatoday.com/travel-visa-11187.html Rodgers, G. (2012). How to Get a Visa. Retrieved from About.com: http://goasia.about.com/od/visaforasia/a/How-to-Get-a-Visa.htm Thailand. (2013). Retrieved from Travisa: http://thailand.travisa.com/ Thailand plug adapters and converters? (2011). Retrieved from Yahoo Answers: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120126143502AAmfr2d The History of Thailand. (2010, November). Reference and Research Book News, p. 25. Tourism Malaysia. (2013). About Malaysia: Tourism Malaysia. Retrieved September 16, 2013, from Malaysia - Truly Asia: http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/Master Vietnam - Cultural Etiquette - e Diplomat. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_vn.htm

Vietnam. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2013, from http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1060.html