“Soft Power and Hard Power in the Thai Monarchy” presented by Prof. Charnvit Kasetsiri, Thammasat University, Bangkok.
Tuesday, August 30, 4:00 pm, Farmer 210
Prof Charnvit (PhD Cornell, 1972), is one of the world’s most eminent historians of Thailand and Southeast Asia and a prominent activist. His lecture draws on themes from his recent book, Thailand: A Struggle for the Nation (Univ. of Hawaii Press 2022). Tensions between authoritarianism and calls for democratic reform have been growing in Thailand since the military coup of 2014, exploding with the protests starting in 2020 led by university and high school students calling for restoration of democracy and reform of the monarchy – a topic previously unspeakable in the country. Prof. Charnvit’s lecture will discuss the historical context and what it might mean for the future.
This guest lecture is happening unusually early in the semester, due to Prof. Charnvit’s short visit to the US.