SEATA's mission is;

1) To only include in its membership travel professionals, both commercial and non-profit, who adhere to the very highest ethics and methods.

2) For travelers to only want to deal with SEATA members as such membership requires the customers come (joint) first.

3) For local people to only want to work for or with or be neighbors to SEATA members because membership requires that culture, the environment, fair play and fair pay, justice and respect for the people who enable their businesses to be successful in the first place comes (joint) first.

4) For SEATA to prove that only by putting others first can the travel industry both have a true travel association and a prosperous economic future based on being partners with, not salespeople to the outside world.

5) For the traveler and travel industry alike to do what they can to make a world a better place to travel in, by helping to make SE Asia a better place to live in for its residents. By playing their part in fighting the too often excessive amounts of bad business, corruption, civil and human rights abuse that unfortunately goes on.

SEATA's terms of association

Commenced in December 2005, SEATA initially was formed as a simple self-approving limited (but true) travel association. This loose, non-incorporated association exists solely on the basis of mutual agreement by its members that they conform and will adhere to the standards and rules set out within the SEATA Membership Agreement ("SMA"). These standards and rules simply allow the traveling public to deal with customer orientated organizations (SEATA members) who are 100% legal and ethical in their operation. In addition, where members take money from their customers in advance of providing the goods or services they warrant, SEATA members must offer minimum levels of customer protection for those monies as defined by the SMA.

The original SMA may be never be changed unless when such change is necessary for clarity and legal performance purposes only; the context / intent / common law interpretation of the SMA may not be changed. The SMA may be appended at any time by the Governing Council of SEATA, but only with a minimum of 14 days notice to membership in order they may petition against any such change if they feel it appropriate and to give members time to resign their membership if they feel inclined. Appendages to the SMA must be clearly shown with the corresponding date on this web site. Members who joined before any appropriate appendage will be legally assumed, as per the original SMA, to have accepted any such appendage if they did not confirmed receipt of the original corresponding notice sent to them. For that reason and purpose changes and / or appendages will be shown as such on the SMA for 12 months before replacing and / or becoming an undifferentiated part of the same.

SEATA's Governing Council (SEATA GC) shall control all aspects of SEATA. Initially the SEATA GC shall comprise solely of SEATA's founder. When SEATA's membership base reaches 1000, the SEATA GC shall be required to approach the membership soliciting nominations from members for a board of 5 Directors plus one Chairman; the later is not up for nomination or election and has to be SEATA's founder. Nominations can only come from SEATA members. Any member may nominate another to become a director as long as they get that nomination seconded by a third member; members can not nominate or second themselves, nor can members nominate or second more than one other member. In the event more than 5 members are nominated, the membership will be asked to vote once for one nominee only; the 5 nominees with the highest number of votes will carry forward. In the event only 5 members are nominated, the membership will be asked to vote once whether they approve the 5 or not; if a majority approve the 5 they will carry forward. If 5 nominees can not be found and / or carried forward, the process will be repeated every 12 months until it can be achieved.

Once 5 Directors have been successfully nominated and carried forward, they plus the Chairman will then form the SEATA GC on the basis of one vote each with the Chairman having a carrying vote if there are an equal number for and against a motion. Motions regarding any and all aspects of SEATA's operation can be put forward by any one of the directors. All motions are to be made public on this web site and notified to the membership accordingly at least 7 days before voting on that motion; this association may never change this aspect. A motion is carried when there is a majority vote or where is an equal vote with the Chairman's carrying vote in favour of the motion. If any two or more Directors strongly disagree with a particular motion verdict they may within 24 hours demand the motion then be put to the membership for disapproval; 51% of the membership must reply they disapprove of the motion in order to have it overturned. If two or more Directors so act and subsequently less than 34% of the membership stating they disagree with the motion, the Chairman will be compelled to decide alone whether the Directors involved are to remain Directors. This is the only time the Chairman can act alone to dismiss any of the Directors. In all other events it would require the other 4 Directors and the Chairman to vote off a Director. Only the membership can vote off the Chairman with at least 70% of the membership stating they wish the Chairman removed. If the Chairman is so voted off, a new Chairman has to be found from the Directors by a matter of voting process by the membership where each round a Director is knocked out until only one Director remains who shall then become the new Chairman. The Chairman can however resign at any time, or if health reasons prevent them from further carrying out their duties; at which time the new Chairman selection process can commence.

Thereafter elections must be held yearly by SEATA GC according to the same process above. Directors have automatic nomination if they wish it. Members who have been suspended at any time may not be nominated / become Directors, nor may they nominate or second anyone else. Members who are currently suspended may not nominate, second or vote for anyone or anything.

SEATA must always be a non-profit organization run by people for the love of travel, not greedy and / or unethical business people to make rich pickings from it. Basic membership must always be free and members equal in the eyes of the association. And SEATA must always be a true travel association.

Mark Austin
SEATA Founder