The Democracy Discourse Series (DDS) project will hold the public forum entitled “Sustaining Pushback Against Autocratization” on August 23, 2024, from 9 AM to 12 NN, at the Thammasat University, Faculty of Political Science, Tha Prachan Campus, Bangkok, Thailand.
Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit will deliver the keynote address for the event. The public forum will also feature a roundtable discussion among the DDS Public Intellectuals from Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, working on artistic, journalistic, and community engagement projects that seek to intervene in and cultivate democratic spaces and practices in Southeast Asia. The DDS Public Intellectuals include Oya Arriola, Tao Aves, Gang Capati, Kok Hin Ooi, Fahmi Reza, Katrina Stuart Santiago, Peera Songkünnatham, Thum Ping Tjin, and Jason Wee.
About the Keynote Speaker: Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit founded the Future Forward Party in October 2018 to campaign against the succession of the military government. The campaign was very well received by the public. The party became the third largest political party in Thailand after the election of 2019. The establishment saw the existence party as a threat. The party was dissolved in 2010, and Thanathorn was banned from politics for 10 years.
Thanathorn believes in equality, democracy and the potential in each and everyone of us to make a different. He left his business life and entered politics with the aim of making Thailand democratic again.
Before he entered politics, he was vice president of Thai Summit Group, a leading Thai manufacturing company headquartered in Samutprakarn. Under his leadership, the company had recorded a revenue of 2.3 billion USD in 2018 and employing more than 20,000 people globally. He spearheaded Thai industries to invest oversea. His effort to globalize the company resulting Thai Summit having factories in Japan, America, Indonesia, India, China, Vietnam and South Africa, and becoming a success example for other Thai manufacturers. He is now fully retired from business.
Thanathorn completed his bachelor degree in Mechanical Engineering duel program from Thammasat University and University of Nottingham. He earned three master degrees; MSC in Global Finance from NYU Stern School of Business, Executive Master in Business Law from University of St. Gallen and MA in Political Economy from Chulalongkorn University.
Outside of work, Thanathorn loves to spend his time with family, reading, travel and pursuing outdoor sports and adventures.
To attend the event, please email pidds@dlsu.edu.ph. For more information, visit: www.democracydiscourse.org.
0 Comments