H.E. Dr. Suwit Khunkitti

H.E. Suwit Khunkitti has an extensive base of experience and achievement spanning government,
business, and social enterprises.
Presently, he is working with several Asian investment groups to identify and manage investments
in growth industries, including life sciences, management of water resources, sustainability and
information technology. He is also involved with various social ventures and serves as an advisor
to several government bodies and major business corporations.
Between 1983 and 2011 he served as a Member of Parliament and of The Government of Thailand.
Over this period, his portfolios included:

  • Deputy Prime Minister (6 times)
  • Minister for Justice
  • Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives
  • Minister for Science, Technology and Environment
  • Minister for Natural Resources and Environment
  • Minister for Information and Communication Technology
  • Minister for Education
  • Ministry for Industry
  • Deputy Secretary General to the Prime Minister
  • Parliamentary Secretary of Ministry of Commerce, University Affairs & Foreign Affairs
  • Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Women & Youth Affairs

He has also served as Chairman of various National Committees including the National Committee
on Environment, the National Water Resources Committee, the National Research Council, the
National Science and Technology Development Council, the National Education Council, the
National Information Communication Technology Committee, and the Thailand Board of
Investment. Between 1999 and 2000, Dr Khunkitti was the Chairman of Thailand’s Social Action
Party.
He served as the Founding Chair of the APEC Life Sciences Innovation Forum Executive Board from
2003-2013. Amongst his achievements in this role, he led the establishment of the Thailand Centre
of Excellence for Life Sciences.
Dr. Khunkitti holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Technology Sydney, and
honorary doctorates in Community Development, Public Administration, and Developmental
Science.
In 1987, he was the first Thai and the youngest Member of Parliament ever elected as the Executive
Member of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Global Organization of 179 National Parliaments.
In 2001, has initiated the world’s largest microcredit system, founding Thailand’s Village and
Urban Community Fund. The fund’s assets have reached US$7.4 billion, with 12.8 million members
from 79,255 villages and urban communities.
In 2009, Dr. Khunkitti was awarded the J. Paul Getty Award for Conservation Leadership by the
World Wildlife Fund in recognition for his work on natural resources and environmental
conservation efforts in Thailand and globally.