Thai Studies Program was established as a result of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Royal Thai Embassy (RTE) and University of Malaya (UM) on 13 September 2013. The idea to establish a Thai Studies Program was first suggested at a meeting between both sides on 16 January 2012. Subsequent meetings and discussions between UM and the RTE took place and in May 2013, Mr. Songsak Saiche
ua, Minister at the Royal Thai Embassy, Kuala Lumpur and a key proponent of the Thai Studies initiative at UM disclosed the Embassy’s support through a grant for a three year period beginning fiscal year 2013. The grant was to fund projects focusing on three key areas namely conference, research and performing arts. Pursuant to this, a secretariat has been set up under the supervision of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) and is housed at the Department of South East Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Science. The founding members of the Program from the Department of Southeast Asian Studies include Dr. Mala Rajo Sathian (founding member and coordinator), Dr. S. Thirunaukarasu and Dr. Hanafi Hussin, Dr. Ummaiyah Umar and Ms. Rosnun Chesof (both Thai language lecturers with the Faculty of Languages, UM). The program also involves the participation of numerous departments, academics and postgraduates researching, teaching and publishing on Thailand.
