Suriya Samutthakup

Ajaan Suriya Samutthakup was born and raised in Chiang Mai province in the late of 1940’s. At that time the city became quite extended because of trading between Lanna, or towns in the north of Thailand, and Bangkok. There were also Christian missionaries come across the country to settle in the province. Ajaan Suriya was familiar to both local cultures and foreign conducts of the new comers. Since his childhood, he studied English language at the Prince Royal School and took special classes at AUA. It is the reason why he was skillful to communicate in English. Nonetheless he accompanied his father, as local bureaucrat, to many places because of his jobs. He started to observe and to take notes what he witnessed in everyday life.

After graduated from high school, Ajaan Suriya had worked as assistant to American anthropologists, for instance Donna Malcom, Peter Kunstadter. He began to learn about anthropological works on interpreter job.

During the late of 1960’s or the period of Cold War, when he finished his job as researcher assistant and the work as interpreter in American military services, he applied in undergraduate and graduate programs consecutively in Anthropology in Washington University at Seattle. Ajaan Suriya had studied and worked with Professor Dr. Charles F. Keyes. He was one of important American anthropologists who studied culture and societies in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Prof. Dr. Keyes was a key person who studied the peasant society in Northeastern Thailand and regionalism and Thai State formation. His studies also included ideology and practices in everyday life of the peasantry.

Ajaan Suriya returned to Thailand after his graduation to firstly work at Khonkaen University with his master diploma. His research principally focused on rural societies and social change. It might be the influence of Prof. Dr. Keyes’ thoughts. Ajaan Suriya was one of the pioneer anthropologists in the Northeast, and became inspired to the followers who studied Northeastern societies. Particularly the methodology in the fieldwork, for example participatory observation and interviews, were applied to collect the findings, and to operate anthropological theories in qualitative researches.

Ajaan Suriy had taught at Khonkaen University for two decades, then moved to Suranaree Technologiacal University until his retirement. At this university, he taught as well as conducted researches on folk performances, textile, museum, cultural materials. He also worked closely to Dr. Pattana Kitiasa, former lecturer at National University of Singapore, to conduct the global issues, such as immigrants and migration.

On the retirement, Ajaan Suriya returned to his home town in Chiang Mai province. He actually works on different interests and participates from time to time in seminars.