Can anybody explain what ASEAN is and what, if any, impact will ASEAN have on influincing the future of Thailand as a member in light of the recent events in Thailand politics?

This from Wikipedia might answer your question:-

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Southeast_Asian_Nations

 

Personally, if I were a Thai, I would resent ASEAN bossing my home country about - just as I, as a Brit, resent the EU bossing my home country about in the way that it does.

Thailand was a founding member of ASEAN which has been around for 50 years.  Recent events will have no effect.  What you should be looking at is the AEC (Asian Economic Community) which was established at the end of 2015 with a view to integrate and allow 'freedom of movement' between member countries similar to the EU.  

To date, I've not seen any significant progress in that respect.

5 hours ago, HHTel said:

Thailand was a founding member of ASEAN which has been around for 50 years.  Recent events will have no effect.  What you should be looking at is the AEC (Asian Economic Community) which was established at the end of 2015 with a view to integrate and allow 'freedom of movement' between member countries similar to the EU.  

To date, I've not seen any significant progress in that respect.

Thanks

22 hours ago, OJAS said:

This from Wikipedia might answer your question:-

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Southeast_Asian_Nations

 

Personally, if I were a Thai, I would resent ASEAN bossing my home country about - just as I, as a Brit, resent the EU bossing my home country about in the way that it does.

If you study the history of ASEAN you will see that it has been a very successful organization for its member states

It has always had a very clear policy applied in practice of not interfering in the affairs of its member states

Unlike the EU there are no faceless bureaucrats making decisions and policies which are then forced on its members

Again unlike the EU countries ASEAN countries have proudly retained their sovereignty 

1 hour ago, StevieAus said:

If you study the history of ASEAN you will see that it has been a very successful organization for its member states

It has always had a very clear policy applied in practice of not interfering in the affairs of its member states

Unlike the EU there are no faceless bureaucrats making decisions and policies which are then forced on its members

Again unlike the EU countries ASEAN countries have proudly retained their sovereignty 

Agree 100%. Had the EU adopted an approach similar to ASEAN's from the outset, I doubt very much whether we would be talking about a Brexit right now! Certainly I would have been more than happy to have voted Remain in the referendum had this been the case.

I worked on one of the ASEAN projects here in Thailand and found it quite long-winded and patiently negotiable. The basic rule is that any agreements must be by consensus of all members. Each such agreement is sent to each member country for approval by the individual legislatures and cabinets, usually with some changes being required. Such changes are added and the revised version goes back to same route. Rinse and repeat until all agree. Tedious but far better in many ways than the common democratic process.