I am a political scientist researching institution-building and decoding Thai politics.
Hi there! My name is Mathis Lohatepanont, and I go by Ken. Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, I am currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Political Science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. I received a M.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 2023 and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley in 2020. I am particularly interested in the politics of institution-building. My dissertation project investigates the question of how and why political parties institutionalize in emerging democracies. My research has also revolved around understanding contemporary Thai politics.
I currently write a Substack newsletter on Thai politics and policy called The Coffee Parliament, which counts diplomats, journalists, business executives, and academics among its subscribers. I have also been a regular contributor to both academic and journalistic outlets on politics. My insights on Thai politics have been quoted in outlets such as Bloomberg, the Financial Times, Foreign Policy, and the New York Times. I deeply enjoy teaching about the Asia-Pacific region; my past experience as Graduate Student Instructor at Michigan has included courses on Southeast Asia and Chinese politics. You can find some of my miscellaneous interests, such as poetry translation, here.