Meet Rear Admiral Surasant, Thailand’s messenger to the world in Cambodia border conflict

Defence Ministry spokesman Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri quickly emerged as Thailand’s public messenger to the world after armed conflict broke out at the Thailand-Cambodia border earlier this year.

Since clashes escalated on December 7, Surasant has delivered daily briefings in Thai and English from the Joint Information Centre on the Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation.

His twice-daily updates are supported by representatives from the armed forces, the Foreign Ministry and other government agencies.

Held every morning and afternoon, the briefings are broadcast on Army-run Channel 5, NBT (National Broadcasting Services of Thailand), and by various Thai media outlets via social media.

‘One voice, one message’

Surasant frequently emphasises the centre’s five principles of operation during briefings: “legitimacy first”; humanitarian principles; transparency without risking Thai security operations; “one voice, one message”, and maintaining morale.

“We communicate with the public in a constructive manner, delivering complete, accurate, up-to-date and transparent information,” he said recently.

The spokesman has consistently articulated Thailand’s position as defensive: the kingdom does not initiate attacks but is exercising its right to defend its people, preventing civilian casualties and damage.

“Thailand stands for peace, but we cannot tolerate violations of our sovereignty and territorial integrity. Military action is employed as a last resort in these cases,” he said.

Surasant played a similar role in June, when border tensions flared after a phone conversation between then-Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Hun Sen was leaked on the Cambodian strongman’s Facebook account.

At the time, Surasant was serving as spokesperson for the Paetongtarn government’s Ad Hoc Centre for the Thailand-Cambodia Border Situation, appointed to the role by then-deputy defence minister General Natthaphon Narkphanit, who was impressed by the UK-educated Navy officer’s fluency in English.

After Paetongtarn was dismissed from her dual role as PM and defence minister over the leaked call, Natthaphon took over the defence portfolio and promoted Surasant to ministry spokesperson.

The minister said Surasant was the top choice because of his language skills. “Otherwise, we would have required two spokespersons – one to explain in Thai and another in English.”

Surasant, 56, also regularly emcees at military functions and sometimes serves as an interpreter at receptions for foreign dignitaries. He was former PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s personal interpreter.

A decade in the UK

Surasant hails from a military background: His grandfather was an admiral, while one of his uncles is currently serving as an Army general.

His father, Surawat, took a different direction, earning an engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) before going on to become a senior executive in the corporate world. Surasant explained that his father’s eyesight problems ruled out a military career.

Surasant spent a decade studying in the United Kingdom, spanning high school to a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine in London. He became fluent in English, a skill that would later serve him well in the Thai armed forces.

After returning to Thailand, he volunteered for the Royal Thai Navy to fulfil his mandatory military duty. He said his father had strongly encouraged him to join the military, saying the experience would be useful if he later stepped onto the corporate ladder.

“At first, I felt bad about being a soldier, earning so little despite holding a master’s degree from overseas,” he said in a recent interview. “With my engineering credentials, I could have earned a lot more in the private sector. The petrochemical industry was booming at that time.”

However, the petrochemical firms he had contacted for a job had insisted he complete his mandatory military service first. So, he joined the Navy.

‘Family-like culture’

His initial plan was to serve for just a few years before joining the corporate world. However, his role in the military turned out to be far more “fun and exciting” than expected.

“I’m proud of being a soldier, even though I have no military education,” he said.

The other reason he stayed was the “family-like culture”, with soldiers looking after one another. He has now served in the armed forces for over two decades.

He began his military career by training as a Marine officer before enrolling in the Army Command and General Staff College in 2005.

He then moved to the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters’ Department of International Relations, tasked to coordinate with foreign military attachés and non-Thai speakers.

He said this experience helped him gain a deeper understanding of the military’s role in international relations.

As for his current role, Surasant said he was proud of it, adding that the daily briefings are a showcase of efficient inter-agency coordination.

“Behind the scenes, various ministries and agencies work together to feed information to the centre,” he said.