South East Asia, region of Asia comprising the Indochinese and Malay peninsulas and several nearby island groups. The region is bordered on the north by China; on the east by the South Pacific Ocean; on the south by the Indian Ocean; and on the west by the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal, and the Indian subcontinent. South East Asia includes the countries of Brunei, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia (Kampuchea), Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.