Kobkua Suwannathat-Pian is Professor of History and Senior Fellow at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), Tanjung Malim, Perak, Malaysia. She is an acknowledged authority on Thai-Malaysian relations and contemporary Thai socio-politics. Throughout her academic life that spans over 30 years, Kobkua has served as lecturer, visiting fellow and professor to some of the leading institutes of higher learning in the region, including Chiangmai University, Chulalongkorn University; Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Tenaga Malaysia and UPSI; Universiti Gadjah Mada; and the University of Hong Kong. Her research focuses on socio-political issues in Thailand and Malaysia.