Dr. Paul Chambers

Dr. Paul Wesley Chambers
Director of Research, South East Asian Institute of Global Studies
E-Mail : pchambers@seaigs.org


Prof. Chambers grew up in Norman, Oklahoma, USA. He completed a BA in Letters (Liberal Arts) and another in Spanish at the University of Oklahoma. He then completed an MA in International Affairs and an MA in political science, both at Ohio University. Following this, Prof. Chambers became a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Thailand's rural northeast. He lived and worked in Thailand and Lao PDR for 5 years. "Ajarn Paul," as he is referred to in Thai, returned to Thailand in 2001 as a Fulbright fellow where he conducted research for his dissertation, which focused on democratization and political parties in Thailand. He graduated with a Ph.D. in political science from Northern Illinois University in 2003. In 2003-5, Dr. Chambers was a visiting assistant professor of political science at the University of Oklahoma. After studying advanced Thai in Chiang Mai, Thailand through a Fulbright-Hays grant in the summer of 2005, Prof. Chambers spent the 2005-2006 academic year as a lecturer at Chiang Mai University where he taught political science in Thai. His research interests focus on the international politics of Southeast Asia; dictatorship and democratization in the Mekong Region; and the Political Economy of Less Developed Nations. Prof. Chambers' articles have appeared in Contemporary Southeast Asia and the Journal of East Asian Studies, among others. He speaks Thai, Lao, Burmese, and, on occasion, he attempts to speak English.


Research Fields

  • Civil-Military Relations/Security Sector Reform in Southeast Asia
  • Democracy and Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia
  • Political Economy of the Greater Mekong Sub-Region
  • International Relations in Southeast Asia
  • Comparative Politics across East, Southeast, and South Asia
  • Political Parties, Parliaments and Elections in Emerging Democracies

On-Going Research

  • Civil-Military Relations and Security Sector Reform in Southeast Asia
  • Political Parties, Intra-Party Factions, Elections and Local Power in Thailand
  • International Relations and Political Economy of Southeast Asia

Publications

Paul W. Chambers, Aurel Croissant, and Philip Voelkel, "Democracy, the Military and Security Sector Governance in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand: Findings and Prospects," in Democratic Governance in South East Asia, 2011.

With Aurel Croissant, "A Contested Site of Memory: the Preah Vihear Temple through the Opposing Narratives of Cambodia and Thailand," Cultures and Globalization Series 4: Heritage, Memory Identity. London: Sage Publications Ltd. (forthcoming December 2010).


Books Published

Paul W. Chambers and Aurel Croissant (eds.), Democracy under Stress. Civil-military relations in South and Southeast Asia, Bangkok: ISIS (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung), 2010.

With Thein Swe, "Cashing in" Across the Golden Triangle: Thailand's Northern Border Trade with China, Myanmar, and Lao PDR, Chiang Mai, Thailand: Silkworm Books (forthcoming March 2011).


Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Paul W. Chambers, "Understanding Civil-Military Relations Today: The Case of Thailand with Implications for Emerging Democracies in Asia" Asia-Pacific Social Science Review 10:2, pp.1-24 (2010).

Paul W. Chambers, "In the Shadow of the Soldier's Boot: Assessing Civil-Military Relations in Thailand," in Marc Askew (editor), Legitimacy Crisis in Thailand, Chiang Mai, Thailand: Silkworm Books and King Prajadhipok's Institute, 2010, pp. 197-234.

With Aurel Croissant, David Kuehn, and Siegfried O. Wolf, "Beyond the Fallacy of Coup-ism: Conceptualizing Civilian Control of the Military in Emerging Democracies", Democratization (October 2010), 17: 5, pp.950-975.

With Aurel Croissant, "Monopolizing, Mutualizing, or Muddling Through: Factions and Party Management in Contemporary Thailand," Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 29, 3, 3-33 (2010).

Paul W. Chambers, “Thailand on the Brink: Resurgent Military, Eroded Democracy,” Asian Survey, 50, 5 (September-October 2010).

With Aurel Croissant, “Intra-Party Democracy in Thailand,” Asian Journal of Political Science, 18, 2 (August 2010), pp.195 – 223.

Paul W. Chambers, Aurel Croissant, and Thitinan Pongsudhirak, "Introduction", in: Aurel Croissant, Paul W. Chambers and Aurel Croissant (eds.), Democracy under Stress. Civil-military relations in South and Southeast Asia, Bangkok: ISIS (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung), 2010.

Paul W. Chambers, “U-Turn to the Past? The Resurgence of the Military in Contemporary Thai Politics,”in Paul W. Chambers and Aurel Croissant (eds.), Democracy under Stress. Civil-military relations in South and Southeast Asia, Bangkok: ISIS (Friedrich Ebert Stiftung), 2010.

With Siegfried O. Wolf, “Image-Formation at a Nation’s Edge: Thai Perceptions of its Border Dispute with Cambodia - Implications for South Asia,” (2010) No. 52, February 2010; Heidelberg Papers in South Asian and Comparative Politics, ISSN: 1617-5069, http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/frontdoor.php?source_opus=10459.

“Thailand Country Report,” Bertelsmann Transformation Index 2010, http://www.bertelsmann-transformation-index.de/126.0.html?L=1.

“Superfluous, Mischievous, or Emancipating? Thailand’s Evolving Senate Today.” In Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs (Sudostasien Aktuell) Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 28, 3, 3-80 (2009).

“Edgy Amity along the Mekong: Thai-Lao Relations in a Transforming Regional Equilibrium.” In Asian Journal of Political Science, Volume 17, Number 1, 2009, pp.89-118.

"Oblique Intervention: The Role of US Missionaries in Siam's Incorporation of Lanna - 1867-1878" (co-authored with Eva Pascal). Journal of World Christianity, Vol 2, No 1 (2009).

“Parties, Factions, and the Durability of Cabinets, Coalitions, and Parliaments in Thailand: 1979-2001.” Party Politics (through Sage Publishers), Volume 14, No. 3, May 2008.

“In Response to Michael H. Nelson,” in Journal of East Asian Studies, Volume 7, Number 1, 2007 (January-April).

“An Institutionalist Approach to Coalition Behavior in Thailand,” in Political Science Review, Chiangmai University, Volume 41, Number 1, 2006, pp.50-67.

“Harnessing Suwannaphum: Thailand’s Foreign Economic Policy Toward Mainland Southeast Asia in the Era of Thaksin,” in Unger, Daniel H., and Neher, Clark D., editors, Bureaucracy and National Security in Southeast Asia: Essays in Honor of M. Ladd Thomas, Northern Illinois University Press, 2006, pp.131-161.

"Thailand's 2005 General Election," in Aurel Croissant and Beate Martin, eds., Between Consolidation and Crisis: Elections and Democracy in Five Nations in Southeast Asia, Berlin, Germany: Lit Verlag, Southeast Asian Modernities (Bd. 3), Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, (April, 2006).

“Has Everything Changed in Thai Politics Under Thaksin? Political Factions Before through 2004” Crossroads: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, volume 17, number 2 (2006).

“Evolving Toward What? Parties, Factions, and Coalition Behavior in Thailand Today.” Journal of East Asian Studies, Volume 5, #3, (Sept-Dec) 2005.

“US-Thai Relations after 9/11: A New Era in Cooperation?” Contemporary Southeast Asia 26, no.3 (2004): 460-79.

“Good Governance, Political Stability, and Constitutionalism in Thailand.” King Prajadhipok's Institute. Occasional Paper, April 2003.

“Mung Lek Nai Mung Yai: How Factions Matter in Contemporary Thai Politics.” Journal of Social Sciences, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. 32, 2, July-December, 2001, pp..192-230.


Book Reviews

Divided Over Thaksin: Thailand’s Coup and Problematic Transition. Edited by John Funston. Singapore: ISEAS, 2009. In Journal of Current Southeast Asia, vol. 29, issue 1, pages 145-152, 2010.

The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand’s Bhumipol Adulyadej. By Paul M. Handley. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2006. In Contemporary Southeast Asia, Volume 29, No. 3, December, 2007.


Newspaper/Magazine Articles

July, 2010   Essay in Insight Asia-Pacific on the military's influence on political stability in Thailand (July 2010). http://www.oav.de/aktuell/insight-asia-pacific/.

June 9, 2010   “The Challenges for Thailand’s Arch-Royalist Military,” New Mandala, http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/.

May 21, 2010   “Future is dark unless both sides are prepared for reconciliation,” The Independent, http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/dr-paul-chambers-future-is-dark-unless-both-sides-are-prepared-for-reconciliation-1978792.html.

October 23, 2009   “Thailand’s Military: Perpetually Political, Forever Factionalized, Again Ascendant,” New Mandala, http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2009/10/23/thailands-military-perpetually-political-forever-factionalized-again-ascendant/.

February 8, 2007   With Napisa Waitoolkiat, "Upgrading the Upper House: Thailand's Senate Needs a Good Sanitizing But What Can Be Done?" The Nation, http://www.nationmultimedia.com

October 11, 2006   With Napisa Waitoolkiat, "Thaksin or 'White September.'" The Nation, http://nationmultimedia.com/2006/10/11/opinion/opinion_30015857.php


Conference Papers

Aug. 27, 2010 “Change-Agents, Strategies, and Unsteady Consolidation: Security Sector Governance and Civil-Military Relations in the Philippines Today.” A Paper presented at the 6th EuroSEAS Conference, School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg, 26-28 August 2010.
 
April 19, 2010 “Thailand in Crisis: Resurgent Military, Diminished Democracy, Civil War?” A Briefing Prepared for the United States National Intelligence Council and US Department of State, Washington DC, 19-20 April 2010.
 
Nov. 12, 2009 With Aurel Croissant, David Kuehn and Siegfried Wolf. Understanding Civil-Military Relations Today: The Case of Thailand with Implications for Young Democracies in Asia. A Paper presented at the Fourth Asian Political and International Studies Association (APISA) Conference, November 12-13, 2009, Manila, the Philippines.
 
Sept. 11, 2009 With Aurel Croissant, “Monopolizing, Mutualizing, or Muddling Through: The Influence of Institutions on the Management of Intra-party Factionalism across Three Constitutions: The Case of Thailand.” A paper presented at the 5th European Consortium on Political Research, September 10-12, 2009, Potsdam, Germany.
 
Sept. 10, 2009 With David Kuehn and Siegfried Wolf. “Emerging Democracies and the Challenges of Civilian Control over the Military: A New Approach.” A paper presented at the 5th European Consortium on Political Research, September 10-12, 2009, Potsdam, Germany.
 
Sept. 1, 2009 Chambers, Paul, “U-Turn to the Past? The Resurgence of the Military in Contemporary Thai Politics.” A paper presented at a public forum on “The Military in Thai Politics: What’s Next? Institute of Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
 
Jan. 9-11, 2008 Political Economy on the Perimeter: State Policy and Trade on Thailand’s Border with Myanmar and Lao PDR—A Comparative Case Study of the Mae Sai-Tachilek and Chiang Khong-Houixai Boundary Areas; The Resurrection of Faction Politics in Thailand: How the 2006 Coup Institutionally Destabilized Thai Political Parties. 10th International Conference on Thai Studies, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand.
 
June 1-3, 2006 "Casino Tourism and Public Policy: A Literature Review." Social Research Institute, Chiangmai University; "Sex Tourism and Public Policy in Thailand: A Preliminary Analysis". These papers were presented at the Mekong Tourism II Conference sponsored by the Social Research Institute (SRI) and the Rockefeller Foundation.
 
Oct. 12, 2004 US-Thai Relations after 9/11, Council on Thai Studies Conference, DeKalb, Illinois
 
April 3, 2003 Political Parties, Factions and Cabinet Durability in Thailand 1979-2001, Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) Conference, Chicago, Illinois
 
June 28, 2002 Political Party Factions in Contemporary Thai Politics. Seminar: The Politics of Parliamentary Democracy in Thailand (with an introduction by former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai)." Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
 
July 14, 2001 Factions in Thai Political Parties, Conference entitled "Thai Politics: Toward the 21st Century," Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
 
Oct. 22, 2000 Party Fragmentation and Cabinet Durability: 1980-2000, Council on Thai Studies Conference, Northern Illinois University
 
Oct. 21, 2000 Thai-Burmese Relations Today, Council on Thai Studies Conference, Northern Illinois University
 
Oct. 14, 1999 Dilemma in the Countryside: Electoral Corruption and Jao Pho-ism in Provincial Thailand, Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs, Michigan State University