This lecture traces the historical development of Thailand’s understanding of regional and international order since the pre-modern era, examining how Thailand has adapted to changing orders, particularly from the postwar period onward. It explores Thailand’s evolving perceptions of Asia and the West, particularly China, the US, and Japan through tributary systems, colonial encounters, and modern geopolitics. The lecture also analyzes how Thailand navigates today’s US-China rivalry, responds to Trump 2.0’s disruptions to the current order, and suggests Japan’s role in maintaining liberal international order.

Speaker Biography

Kitti Prasirtsuk is Professor of international relations at Thammasat University in Thailand and an advisory committee for the International Studies Center (ISC) at the Thai Foreign Ministry. His experiences include Vice Rector for International Affairs (2018-2021) and Director at the Institute of East Asian Studies (2013-2018) at his university. He used to serve as a strategic committee at the Thai Defence Ministry (2014-19).

He was a non-resident fellow at the Center on Public Diplomacy, University of Southern California (2023 – 2024). Kitti is currently a Japan Foundation fellow (2024 – 2025), researching on “local revitalization” at Kyushu University. Kitti was a visiting professor at UC Berkeley, teaching “International Relations in Southeast Asia,” and gave lectures at various universities, such as ANU, Munich, Waseda, Peking, Fudan, Korea, and Yonsei.  He has been invited to speak, including at Columbia University, Nikkei Forum, Beijing Forum, Jeju Forum, and ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Earning an M.A. from Keio University and a Ph.D. from UC Berkeley, Kitti has a wide range of publications, including those on U.S. – Thailand security alliance, Japan-Southeast Asia relations, ASEAN, maritime security, and Thai politics. His recent writings include “Thailand,” in Hall, Lee Brown, and Strating (eds.), Blue Security in the Indo-Pacific (Routledge, 2025).