Kantathi Suphamongkhon
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Kantathi Suphamongkhon ( Thai กันตธีร์ ศุภมงคล, born 3 April 1952), a Thai diplomat, politician, university professor and a real estate developer. He served as the 39th minister of foreign affairs of Thailand from 11 March 2005 until the military coup d'état on 19 September 2006. In that capacity, he also served as chairman of the Human Security Network, established in 1999 as an association of countries working to promote the concept of human security as a feature of national and international public policy. While foreign minister, Kantathi enhanced Thailand's diplomatic role in the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
(ASEAN), and in the world at large. He advanced Thailand's constructive role in global affairs. Among other things, while in Pyongyang on several occasions, Kantathi encouraged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) or North Korea to enter or resume the
Six-Party Talks The six-party talks aimed to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program. There was a series of meetings with six participating states in Beijing: * China * Japan * North Korea ...
. He had been to the DPRK several times and has worked closely with the then U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the People's Republic of China's Foreign Minister
Li Zhaoxing Li Zhaoxing (; born 20 October 1940 in Jiaonan, Qingdao, Shandong) is a Chinese diplomat and politician. He served as the Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China from 2003 to 2007. He graduated from Peking University in 1964. He ...
, and the Republic of Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, with the goal of maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula. Kantathi has been appointed University of California Regents' Professor at the
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...
(UCLA) as well as Senior Fellow at the Burkle Center for International Relations at UCLA. As Distinguished Professor of Law and Diplomacy, he taught law, diplomacy and international trade at UCLA from 2007 until 2014 in various departments and schools, namely Department of Political Science, International Institute and Anderson School of Management. Kantathi is presently a member of the advisory board of the RAND Corporation Center for Asia Pacific Policy.


Career

From 11 March 2005 - 19 September 2006, Kantathi was Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand. From 2001 - 2005 Kantathi was Thailand's Trade Representative, a position with cabinet rank. Kantathi was executive director and one of the founding members of the
Thai Rak Thai Party The Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT; th, พรรคไทยรักไทย, , ; "Thais Love Thais Party") was a Thai political party founded in 1998. From 2001 to 2006, it was the ruling party under its founder, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawat ...
, as well as a former spokesperson for the party. Kantathi also served as special adviser to Her Royal Highness Princess
Chulabhorn Walailak Princess Chulabhorn, the Princess Srisavangavadhana ( th, จุฬาภรณ; ; ; born 4 July 1957) is a princess of Thailand, the youngest daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, and the younger sister of King Vajiralongkorn ...
of Thailand. In this role, he accompanied Her Royal Highness on trips to numerous countries pertaining to medical research, the environment, and various other international activities. Kantathi was also foreign affairs adviser to several prime ministers of Thailand as well as foreign affairs advisor to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand. Kantathi was elected member of the Thai Parliament for two terms (1995 and again 2001). Prior to entering politics, he was a career diplomat in Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 10 years (1985–1995), four of which were spent as a representative of Thailand to the United Nations in New York (1987–1992). His diplomatic career began in the ministry's International Organizations Department where he focused on the United Nations when Thailand was serving its two years as a member of the
United Nations Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international peace and security, recommending the admission of new UN members to the General Assembly, an ...
. Later, Kantathi worked in the Political Affairs Department. In 1992, he was Adviser on Foreign Affairs to the Speaker of the House Representatives in the Thai Parliament. Kantathi was also Director of the Policy and Planning Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during 1993–1994.Exclusive ดร.กันตธีร์ ศุภมงคล: "อนาคตของไทยในเวทีโลก ขึ้นอยู่กับผู้นำของเรา"
/ref> Kantathi has worked in the private sector as Director of the Post Publishing Public Company, which publishes the '' Bangkok Post'' and '' Post Today'' newspapers. He is currently Chairman of Kanta Enterprise International Limited (KEI), a company which focuses on international real estate development. Kantathi has taught various subjects including international law, international relations, international trade and foreign policy, negotiations and foreign policy, international politics and globalization, foreign policy of Thailand, Southeast Asian studies, and psychology.


Education

Kantathi holds a
Ph.D A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
in International Relations from the
University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...
, an MA in International Studies from American University in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, a BA in Political Science from the
University of California at Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
. He graduated High School from General H.H. Arnold High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. He also attended the American High School on the Rhine in Bonn, Germany. Both were U.S. Department of Defense high schools.


Memberships and affiliations

* Member of advisory board, RAND Corporation Center on Asia Pacific Policy * Pacific Council on International Policy * Los Angeles World Affairs Council * Senior Fellow, Burkle Center for International Relations * Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea (ACOPS) * American Society of International Law * Asia Society (International Council Member)


Awards and decorations

* Thai Royal decoration: ''Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant'' * ''El Sol del Peru'': conferred on behalf of the President of Peru in October 2005


Speeches

*Harberger Lecture with Regents Professor and Burkle Senior Fellow Dr. Suphamongkhon May 19, 2008

*Burkle Senior Fellow Dr. Suphamongkhon's Letter to the Next US President May 8, 2008

*Thailand: What is Going On?: An Informal Discussion on the Current Situation in Thailand, Apr 22, 2009"


Publications

*The Temple of Preah Vihear: An Insider's Recollection, Issue 7, April–May 2011"

*Stop Thailand's Free Fall Into the Abyss Now, May 17, 2010"

*Can Thailand Avoid the Abyss?, Apr 21, 2009"

*International community coming to realize 'the responsibility to protect', Apr 15, 2009"

*"Dear Mr. President", Bangkok Post, November 2, 200

*What the World Expects from the next US President", BBC World News Service, September 9, 2008

*Globalization: Can Poor Nations Catch Up? UCLA Today Online, May 27, 2008"

*International Institute Commencement Address: 14 Points for Success June 17, 200

*An Icelandic Dinner with Bobby Fisher January 2, 2007


Audio links

* * * Audio Clips Free Speech Radio News 90.7 FM interview: Thaipoliticalcrisi


Audio clips from Jamaica Radio


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Suphamongkhon, Kantathi Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Kantathi Suphamongkhon Living people 1952 births Kantathi Suphamongkhon Kantathi Suphamongkhon USC School of International Relations alumni University of California, Los Angeles alumni Kantathi Suphamongkhon Kantathi Suphamongkhon American University School of International Service alumni