Center for Politics and Geopolitics
The Center for Politics and Geopolitics is Thailand Future Institute's research hub dedicated to rigorous analysis of political developments and geopolitical trends shaping Thailand and Southeast Asia. Our mission is to advance understanding of how domestic politics influences policymaking, institutional frameworks, and business environments—and how these dynamics determine Thailand's and the region's capacity to navigate geopolitical upheavals, technological disruption, and economic uncertainty.
Our Approach: Research → Insight → Impact
Research
At the core of the Center is our commitment to rigorous, independent research. Our team of experts in political science, economics, and data science combines advanced analytical methodologies with on-the-ground insights to understand key political developments, identify emerging political risks and policy trends across sectors, and evaluate their implications for governance, economic trajectories, and development outcomes in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia.
Insight
We translate research findings into strategic recommendations through our advisory services. Whether advising government agencies, business leaders, or international organizations, we provide tailored, evidence-based guidance to help clients navigate the complexities of Thailand's and Southeast Asia's political and policy environments. Grounded in deep understanding of local contexts, our advisory work equips clients with the tools and insights necessary to manage political risks and make informed, strategic decisions.
Impact
Through workshops, briefings, and public conferences, we convene policymakers, academics, practitioners, and stakeholders to foster constructive dialogue on critical issues facing Thailand and the region. We advocate for policies grounded in rigorous analysis and promote informed public understanding of political dynamics shaping development outcomes. Through speaking engagements and expert commentary, we actively contribute to shaping discourse and advancing policy conversations that matter for Thailand's and Southeast Asia's future.
Team
Our Researchers and Advisors
The Center for Politics and Geopolitics operates as an open research platform that connects academics and analysts from leading universities and research institutions in Thailand and across the region. At its core is a team of researchers who drive the Center’s research agenda, working in collaboration with subject-matter experts from diverse disciplines and sectors who contribute to projects based on their areas of expertise.
Napon Jatusripitak
Director
Napon Jatusripitak is Director of Thailand Future's Center for Politics and Geopolitics. He is also a Visiting Fellow and Coordinator of the Thailand Studies Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. His research examines democratization, elite politics, and patronage networks in Thailand and Southeast Asia. His perspectives have been widely featured in international media including The New York Times, BBC, Financial Times, Nikkei, Bloomberg, Reuters, and Al Jazeera. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University, an M.A. from Columbia University, and a B.A. from Cornell University.
Mathis Lohatepanont
Research Fellow
Mathis Lohatepanont is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Michigan. He specializes in the study of political parties and party systems, especially in Thailand. He is regular contributor of analysis on contemporary Thai politics to both academic and journalistic outlets.
Tita Sanglee
Research Fellow
Tita Sanglee is an Associate Fellow with the Thailand Studies Programme at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore and a Columnist at The Diplomat. Her analysis focuses on Thailand’s security and foreign relations, with particular emphasis on traditional security, maritime security, and the influence of the great powers. She holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London.
Prapimphan Chiengkul
Senior Research Fellow
Prapimphan Chiengkul is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University, Thailand, Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Globalisation and Regionalisation, Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick, United Kingdom, and Associate Fellow at the Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programme, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore. She specializes in the political economy and international political economy of development and her research to date has focused on issues of inequality, social justice, economic democracy, environmental sustainability, climate change, and the intersection between geopolitics and green transitions.
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Wannaphong Durongkaveroj
Associate Fellow
Wannaphong Durongkaveroj is an economist specializing in international trade, poverty, and inequality. He currently serves as Associate Professor at the Faculty of Economics, Ramkhamhaeng University. He has previously consulted for the Asian Development Bank, the Asia Foundation (Thailand), and Thai government agencies. Wannaphong received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Economics from Chiang Mai University and his Ph.D. in Economics from the Australian National University.
Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi
Research Fellow
Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi is a lecturer in International Relations and Assistant Dean for International Programs at the Faculty of Political Science, Thammasat University. She is also an Associate Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Her research focuses on political psychology in international relations, with particular attention to betrayal and emotions in interstate relations, as well as Southeast Asia’s engagement with major powers. Pongkwan holds a BA in Political Science from Chulalongkorn University, an MA in International Relations and International Economics with a regional focus on Southeast Asia from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and a PhD in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California. Her work on China’s Belt and Road Initiative has been published in Asian Perspective, and her op-eds have appeared in Fulcrum.
Suranand Vejjajiva
Senior Advisor
Suranand Vejjajiva is a political economy expert with extensive experience across the public sector, private sector, and politics. He has served as spokesperson for the Thai Rak Thai Party, Member of Parliament, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office under Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and Secretary-General to the Prime Minister in the Yingluck Shinawatra administration. He is currently an entrepreneur (Brainwake Café and BKK Bagels) and a political-economic commentator for major media outlets and podcasts. He holds a BA in Political Economy from Williams College, an MIA from Columbia University (SIPA), and a Master of Management from the Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration, Chulalongkorn University.
Pongphisoot Busbarat
Senior Advisor
Pongphisoot (Paul) Busbarat is a political scientist specializing in the geopolitics of East Asia, the strategic interactions between external powers and resident states, as well as the intersection between domestic politics and ideational foundations in Thailand’s foreign policy. He currently serves as Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies (ISIS Thailand) and Assistant Dean at the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, alongside being a member of Thailand's ASEAN Regional Forum Experts and Eminent Persons (ARF EEPs) group, a non-resident scholar at Carnegie China, and a Transpacific and Asian Dialogue Fellow at the Penn Project on the Future of US-China Relations. Pongphisoot received his Ph.D. from the Australian National University and holds postgraduate degrees in International Affairs from Columbia University and Development Studies from the University of Cambridge. Prior to entering academia, Dr Busbarat served as a policy analyst in the International Security Affairs Bureau in Thailand’s National Security Council.
Areas of Focus
We focus on three interconnected domains where political dynamics drive outcomes and determine how countries respond to regional and global shifts. Our work examines how power is contested and exercised domestically, how geopolitical competition reshapes regional alignments, and how political factors influence economic policy and development trajectories.
Domestic Politics and Governance
We examine elite power-sharing arrangements, political party systems, and electoral dynamics in Thailand and across Southeast Asia. Our research analyzes party-voter linkages, political identities, and institutional reform processes, while tracking civil-military relations, democratization trajectories, and the role of social movements in shaping governance in Thailand and throughout the region.
Geopolitics and International Relations
We study Thailand's foreign policy positioning and ASEAN cohesion amid intensifying great power competition in Southeast Asia. Our work addresses maritime disputes in the South China Sea and beyond, evolving security architectures, and the dynamics of bilateral partnerships within and outside the region as Thailand and neighboring countries navigate shifting geopolitical pressures.
Political Economy and Development
We analyze how political dynamics and geoeconomic rivalries shape regional economic integration, cross-border investment flows, and development policy choices in Thailand and across Southeast Asia. Our research examines how countries navigate competing economic partnerships, AI and digital disruption, and climate change and energy transition, while addressing challenges of economic inequality and inclusive growth.
