Business and Market Research Snapshot on Southeast Asia

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Currency Exchange. Name of local currency: Brunei Dollar (B$). US$1.00 equal to B$1.75 in 2003, B$1.69 in 2004 and B$1.59 in June 2006.

Hotels. Room rates for low-end hotels in Brunei range from 10 to 80 Brunei Dollars (B$10 – B$80) while mid-end hotels generally charge B$80 – B$170. High-end hotel rates are usually B$170 – B$300 while luxury hotels and resorts are generally priced above B$300.

Airports. The Brunei International Airport is located in the Berakas locality and is about 10km from Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB) city centre. Taxis to and from the city is considered expensive and take about 20 minutes one-way at a cost of about B$25. The Purple Bus service is also available between the airport and city centre at B$1 one-way. Departure tax is B$12 for all outbound flights, except to the neighbouring Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak (B$5).

Business Hours. Government offices in Brunei open from 7:45a.m. to 4:30p.m. with lunch break from 12:15p.m. to 1:30p.m., Monday to Thursday, and Saturday. Fridays and Sundays are off-days. Most private offices open from 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. on weekdays and 8:00a.m. to 12:00 noon on Saturdays. Banks open from 9:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. between Monday and Thursday, 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. on Friday and 9:00a.m. to 11:00a.m. on Saturday.

Common Courtesies. People in Brunei shake hands by lightly touching hands and then bringing the hand to the chest. However shaking hands is not usually done between members of the opposite sex. It is impolite to point with the index finger and pointing should be done using the thumb with the fingers folded. Non-Muslims should not walk in front of a Muslim in prayer or touch the Koran when visiting a mosque.

Travel. Public transport in the capital city is reliable and readily available with comfortable taxis and inexpensive bus services. However traveling to places outside of BSB will likely require the need to rent a car.

Pegasus Business and Market Advisory (PBMA) provides business and marketing research and advisory services focussing on Southeast Asia namely Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei. Contact corporate@pegasus-asia.com for further information.

Business Travel Snapshot - Brunei

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