by Reinhard Hohler, Chiang Mai

The Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University, is pleased to announce the 11th International Conference on Thai Studies on July 26-28, 2011. Held every three years, the International Conference on Thai Studies is a well-established forum for researchers across disciplines to share knowledge and perspectives on Thailand, Thai culture and society and the connection between Thailand and the world.

In 2011, the conference marks the 30th Anniversary of two special occasions: first, the inauguration of the Thai Studies Conference, initiated in 1981 in India by a small group of Thai and Indian scholars, and secondly, the founding of the Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University, devoted to research and studies on diverse linguistic groups and cultures of Asia.

The conference is intended to reflect on the course of Thailand’s history and to envision the way forward, as the country has undergone crucial changes and challenges. Panels will engage in such topics as Thailand and ASEAN or Thailand and the Mekong Sub-region (GMS) among others.

The venue of the conference is the Siam City Hotel, Bangkok while one of the main sponsors of the conference is Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).

For further information, please go to the web-site: www.lc.mahidol.ac.th