Rubber, palm oil, fruit and vegetable production and of course tourism with attractive low costs all buffer these nations basking in the tropical year-round sun from the recessionary effects. All of them see Russia as an attractive trade and investment partner whether it is investing in agriculture in Russia where 20 million hectare of arable land lies idle or attracting Russian investors to develop hotels, invest in rubber plantations and palm oil production in SEA Asia.

Vladivostok and Khabarovsk are on their doorstep and their message that Russia should think eastwards should not be ignored coming, as it does, from a group politically well-disposed towards Russia. The Russian people have no doubts. The travelers tell the story – 100,000 Russians to Indonesia, 30,000 to Malaysia in 2008 and growing.

Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos are all getting their share.

This month Amit Jain takes an in-depth look at the investment opportunities in Malaysia’s unsung East Coast Economic Region which has just unveiled the detailed master plan to transform the region and double household incomes by 2020.

Jason Klein reviews Thailand’s spas while I profile the young Indonesian-Russian fashion designer, Tatiana Sudaryanto who draws her inspiration from Bali where Andre Yakovlev kicks off his tour of Indonesia.

Of course there’s more.

As usual, a feast to dig into.

John Bonar

John Bonar, Publisher of BSR Magazine