Join Pita Limjaroenrat, former leader of Thailand’s dissolved Move Forward Party and a pivotal voice in the nation’s pro-democracy movement, for an urgent and timely discussion on the country’s trajectory ahead. Against the precarious backdrop of escalating political tensions, youth-led protests, and debates over reform, this fireside chat will confront the pressing questions shaping Thailand’s present and future.

Pita will unpack critical developments since the contentious 2023 election, including the struggle for constitutional amendments, the military’s enduring influence, the government’s handling of economic recovery amid sluggish growth, and rising inequality in Thai society. He will also address Thailand’s geopolitical tightrope from navigating U.S.-China rivalries to its ambiguous stance on Myanmar’s crisis to the Cambodian-Thai tensions, and what these mean for ASEAN’s regional stability.

Lunch will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

Speaker:

Pita Limjaroenrat formerly led the Move Forward Party (MFP) in Thailand’s May 2023 general elections, where his social democratic platform won the most votes and seats in the Parliament. Despite this mandate, his attempts to form a government were blocked by institutional mechanisms, and the Constitutional Court dissolved the MFP on August 7. Pita’s policy focus centers on addressing grassroots issues, welfare improvements, and human rights, while advocating for the demilitarization of politics and economic de-monopolization. Currently, he is a Senior Democracy Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School. He holds a joint MPA-MBA from Harvard Kennedy School and MIT Sloan and has been named on the TIME 100 Next List. Today, Pita continues to champion transparent and equitable governance on a global scale.