I'd say a Rockhopper is almost an ideal touring bike for the areas you mention. A lot of the cycing in SE Asia is going to be on corrugated dirt roads. The fairly upright riding position and ability to mount relatively wide touring tyres is going to stand you in good stead- I would much MUCH RATHER AN MTB than a touring bike where you're going. I've toured in similar terrain and was hugely thankful for having a front suspension bike.
<I've EDITED the above paragraph as I screwed up a sentence>
Are you planning on bringing camping gear, or will you be staying in paid accommodation every night? If the latter, you won't need too much gear and can probably get away with just rear panniers. If you're camping, you're going to have to bring a lot more stuff- look into racks by Old Man Mountain for front suspension bikes. Another option is a trailer. However I'd suggest against that route- it's more complex to get onto airlines and loaded panniers make your bike much more comfortable.
How much weight can the frame take? I don't know, but you're going to reach the rated strength of your racks before you have to worry about that.
Last edited by womble; 06-28-05 at 05:14 PM.