Saranpat Boonhok

Saranpat Boonhok is a PhD candidate at the Centre for Cultural, Literary, and Postcolonial Studies (CCLPS).

His PhD research focuses on Thainess (khwam-pen-Thai) or Thai identity by looking at adaptations of Thainess such as classical literature, folklore, and historical narratives turned into contemporary Thai fiction like time travel, dystopia, fantasy, and Boys’ Love fanfiction. This research reads texts against the backdrop of the post-2006 coup as a critical period of contestation among different ideologies in Thai society along with the transnational cultural flows that change the socio-cultural landscape in Thailand.  

Before joining SOAS, Saranpat earned both BA and MA in Thai language and literature from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. He was a student in ‘Chulalongkorn University Strategic Scheme for Excellent Students in Thai language and literature’ which provided him funding for both degrees.

After that, he began his professional career at Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University (SSRU) in Bangkok, Thailand. He taught several modules from classical to contemporary Thai literature as well as literary criticism and theories for pre-service teachers at the faculty of education before being promoted to assistant professor in Thai literature.

Then, he took a study leave for a doctoral degree at SOAS which was sponsored by SSRU under the university’s personal development scheme.   Alongside his PhD study, Saranpat has worked as Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) at SOAS in the School of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics. He mainly teaches Thai language modules for UG and PG students. Apart from that, Saranpat also works with educational organisations: International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge International Education with his expertise in Thai language and literature. Saranpat is a fellowship (FHEA) of the UK Professional Standards Framework, UK Advance HE as well.

Saranpat’s research interests are grounded in his training background in Thai literary studies. His research interest spans from the modern period when the colonial tension encountered in Siam/Thailand during the 19th -20th century especially literary works of Siamese elites like King Rama V and Rama VI. Moreover, his several works including the PhD project focus on contemporary Thai literature especially its trajectories as well as political and social dimensions in the 21st century.

Saranpat is interested in how literature interacts with contemporary society which is presented in different forms like adaptation of classical stories, folklore, history in popular fiction, animation, comics, and other kinds of popular culture.  

Furthermore, Saranpat attempts to expand his research from literary and cultural studies of Thailand to different cultures in Asia, especially the entanglement to South East Asia cultures like the Ramayana story. In addition, he is passionate about transnational cultures like the Korean Wave which influenced Thai and many Asian cultures about how this phenomenon shapes and reshapes the literature and culture of Thailand and beyond.

Last but not least, Saranpat is interested in the growing field of world literature with reference to Asia and how to make Thai literature more visible and discussed by world literary scholars.