15 Facts About Surin Pitsuwan

Surin Abdul Halim bin Ismail Pitsuwan was a Thai diplomat and politician of Malay descent who served as the 12th secretary-general of ASEAN between 2008 and 2012.

Surin Pitsuwan spent one and a half years studying Arabic and doing research at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, from 1975 to 1977.

Surin Pitsuwan became a congressional fellow under the sponsorship of the American Political Science Association from 1983 to 1984, working in the US capitol.

Surin Pitsuwan was elected member of parliament from Nakhon Si Thammarat for the first time in 1986 and became secretary to the Speaker of the House of Representatives the same year.

Surin Pitsuwan was chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum from 1999 until 2000.

Surin Pitsuwan was academic assistant to the Dean of the Faculty of Political Science and later to the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs at Thammasat University from 1985 to 1986.

On 18 June 2007, the Thai cabinet unanimously endorsed the recommendation of the Thai Foreign Ministry that Surin Pitsuwan be nominated as the Thai candidate for Secretary-General of ASEAN.

Surin Pitsuwan was confirmed by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers during their 40th annual meeting in Manila in July 2007 and succeeded Ong Keng Yong from Singapore on 1 January 2008.

The Economist magazine, commenting that most secretaries-general are "usually a senior regional official rewarded with the post as the crowning boondoggle in a career of not rocking the boat", states that Surin Pitsuwan is different in that he seeks an activist role in member states.

Surin Pitsuwan was the first ASEAN Secretary-General with significant political experience.

Acharya said that Surin Pitsuwan would be remembered for guiding the grouping through challenging times, including the opening up of Myanmar, the United States entry into the East Asia Summit, and rising tensions over the South China Sea.

Since October 2013, Surin Pitsuwan served as on the board of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a private diplomacy organization whose mission is to prevent armed violence through mediation and dialogue.

Surin Pitsuwan was a member of the Commission on Human Security, a member of the advisory board of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty, and a member of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization.

Surin Pitsuwan collapsed while preparing to address the Thailand Halal Assembly 2017 in Bangkok.

Surin Pitsuwan has received the following royal decorations in the Honours System of Thailand:.