Webinar Crossing the Climate Threshold: Urgent Actions for Southeast Asia’s Sustainable Future

October 3, 2024 from 5:00 pm HST

Register here

THAILAND STUDIES PROGRAMME

About the Hybrid Seminar

Despite indications that Thailand is ripe for further democratisation, signs of democratic backsliding have emerged. These include political co-optation aimed at safeguarding the power of conservative elites, the systemic use of judicial instruments to undermine party organisations and curb executive authority, and the resurgence of dynastic politics. This seminar will discuss what these developments mean for Thailand, the challenges they pose to democratic consolidation, and future strategies for achieving meaningful structural reforms.

About the Speaker

Pita Limjaroenrat is formerly a Member of Parliament of Thailand, leader of the now-dissolved Move Forward Party, and its prime ministerial candidate in the May 2023 General Elections. Under his leadership, Move Forward won the most seats and the most votes, securing a plurality of 151 seats with the support of over 14 million voters. Despite this victory, Pita was blocked from becoming prime minister by the junta-appointed Senate and behind-the-scenes political maneuvering. On 7 August 2024, Thailand’s Constitutional Court dissolved the Move Forward Party and imposed a 10-year political ban on Pita and other party executives. Pita holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Thammasat University, a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, and an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is now a Visiting Democracy Fellow at Harvard, where he is dedicated to sharing his experiences and working toward a brighter future for the next generation of leaders.

About the Discussant

Duncan McCargo is President’s Chair in Global Affairs at Nanyang Technological University and Associate Senior Fellow at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. His books on Thai politics include the best-selling The Thaksinization of Thailand (co-authored, NIAS 2005), the award-winning Tearing Apart the Land: Islam and Legitimacy in Southern Thailand (Cornell 2008), and most recently Future Forward: The Rise and Fall of a Thai Political Party (co-authored, NIAS 2020).

Registration

This is a hybrid event which will be held at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute (ISEAS). Register here