Mr Poowin Bunyavejchewin
BA (Hons) (Thammasat), MA (Hull), PhD cand. (Naresuan)

Poowin Bunyavejchewin is Tenured Senior Researcher at the Institute of East Asian Studies (IEAS) at Thammasat University in suburban Bangkok, and was Joint Editor-in-Chief of its in-house journal, International Journal of East Asian Studies. He is also founding Head of the University’s Research Unit in History and International Politics (TU-HIP). He is simultaneously pursuing a PhD in Political Science at Naresuan University in central Thailand. Bunyavejchewin has reviewed more than 100 papers for various journals, including SAGE Open, and has served as an editorial board member of PLOS ONE and the Journal of Politics and Governance. His research interests include Asia-Pacific security, regional multilateralism, Thai foreign policy, Thai boys love (BL) media, and aviation social science.

Prior to joining IEAS in December 2013, Bunyavejchewin was a Lecturer at the School of Liberal Arts at Walailak University. He holds an MA in International Politics from the University of Hull, UK, and a BA (Hons) in Political Science from Thammasat University. Besides degrees in Political Science and International Politics, he has an AdvDip in Aviation Law and Air Transport Management from NALSAR University of Law, India. Bunyavejchewin was awarded Thammasat University’s Outstanding Young Researcher Award in 2014. He was invited as a delegate under the Southeast Asian Young Leaders’ Programme (SEAYLP) to participate in the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue, one of the world’s top security forums, in 2017.

In 2022, Bunyavejchewin founded his own think tank based in India’s North West Delhi called the Vejchewin Research Institute (VRI). His publications have appeared in academic journals, such as Asian International Studies Review and Asian Politics & Policy. His opinions on BL trends in Thailand have been quoted in media outlets, including TIME and The Economist.

For his complete CV, see here (updated 11/05/2024).

Research Interests

• Asia-Pacific Security
• Regional Multilateralism
• Thai Foreign Policy
• Thai BL Media
• Aviation Social Science

Selected Publications

‘The Myth of Sino-Thai Brotherhood: Archival Evidence on Thailand’s Relations with China in Continental Southeast Asia in the 1990s.’ Asian International Studies Review 23, no. 1 (2022): 28-52. DOI: 10.1163/2667078X-bja10014 (with Wichian Intasi, and Watcharabon Buddharaksa)

‘The Cold War, Old and New: A Preliminary Comparative Study of Polarity, Polarisation, and Elements of (In)stability.’ Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 29, no. 2 (2021): 903-22. DOI: 10.47836/pjssh.29.2.09 (with Thapiporn Suporn, Pattanarat Faugchun, and Natthanont Sukthungthong)

‘China and Mekong Regionalism: A Reappraisal of the Formation of Lancang-Mekong Cooperation.’ Asian Politics & Policy 24, no. 2 (2021): 193-211. DOI: 10.1111/aspp.12575 (with Pongphisoot Busbarat, and Thapiporn Suporn)

‘How Regime Type and Governance Quality Affect Policy Responses to COVID-19: A Preliminary Analysis.’ Heliyon 7, no. 2 (2021): e06349. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06349 (with Ketsarin Sirichuanjun)

‘A Preliminary Analysis of Securitising Mental Health in LAMICs Regional Groups: The Case of ASEAN.’ Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 23, no. 3 (2015): 741-60.

‘Revisiting Thailand’s Aggression against Cambodia, 1953–1962: An Expected Utility Theory of War Initiation.’ Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities 23, no. 2 (2015): 413-29.

Author and Researcher Identifiers