Lecture | Dr. Pavin Chachavalpongpun: "Thailand's Political Development and the End of the Bhumibol Era"

about the lecturer:

Pavin Chachavalpongpun is associate professor at Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, Kyoto University, Japan, where he teaches Southeast Asian Politics and International Relations in Asia. Earning his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, Pavin is the author of two books: "A Plastic Nation: The Curse of Thainess in Thai-Burmese Relations" and "Reinventing Thailand: Thaksin and His Foreign Policy". His journal articles include "Embedding Embittered History: Unending Conflicts in Thai-Cambodian Relations”, Asian Affairs (Vol. XLIII, No. 1 (March 2012), pp. 81-102, and "The Necessity of Enemies in Thailand’s Troubled Politics”, Asian Survey, Vol. 51, No. 6 (November/December, 2011), pp. 1019-1041. He is also the editor of the upcoming book "Good Coup Gone Bad: Thailand's Political developments Since Thaksin's Downfall". In late 2011, Pavin led a nationwide campaign to free a political prisoner, named Akong, who was accused of lese-majeste and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Akong later died of cancer while still in prison.

Current research:
Pavin is currently conducting a research on Thailand's political developments since the military coup of 2006 and the future of Thai democracy in the post-Bhumibol period. He is particularly interested in the role of the military and the monarchy in the maintenance of their power position within Thailand's domestic politics as well as foreign affairs. Aside from this topic, Pavin also writes regularly on the issue of democratisation in Myanmar and politics of Cambodia, as well as regionalisation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).