Expert Profile
Surin Pitsuwan
Secretary-General, ASEAN; Former Member of the Thai Legislature;
Former Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs
Dr. Surin Pitsuwan joined the board of trustees of The Asia Foundation in 2003. He was elected Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in January, 2008. He became a Member of Parliament of Thailand in 1986, and has served in the same constituency for seven consecutive terms. During this period, he was appointed as secretary to the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1986. Subsequent appointments were as assistant secretary to the Minister of Interior in 1988 and as Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister from 1992-1995. He was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1992-2001 and elected as a party List MP of the Democrat Party in 2001. A graduate in political science from Claremont Men's College in California, Dr. Surin holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University.