Dr Pongsudhirak is considered by journalists, diplomats as the ‘go-to’ analyst on Thailand’s politics and macro-economy, as well as the ASEAN region. He is a Thai national, based in Bangkok, with over 25 years as a political observer and commentator of Thailand and it relations in within ASEAN. As a freelance writer, he is an outspoken columnist with the Bangkok Post and the Straits Times of Singapore.  He is well-respected for his research credentials and analytical skills, which allows him to incorporate great depth to his presentations and to facilitate and lead discussion on economic and political developments in Thailand and the region.

He is an accomplished writer and prolific contributor of opinion and analysis and is a former contributor to the Economist Intelligence Unit and a former contributing editor to the The Nation.  He writes various papers and articles, including for the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), the European Institute of Asian Studies (EIAS), Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies (APCSS) and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

He is regularly interviewed on television, including CNN International, CNBC, Channel News Asia, Reuters, Bloomberg, BBC World, Al Jazeera and local Thai news stations, and frequently quoted in international press, including Financial Times, The Economist, Time, Newsweek, International Herald Tribune, New York Times, Washington Post, The Guardian, The Times, Le Figaro, Der Spiegel, Straits Times, Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Far Eastern Economic Review etc. and is also interviewed on the world's international radio stations.

At Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, he is simultaneously Professor and Director of the Institute of Security and International Studies, Faculty of Political Science. He holds a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics, UK, a M.A. (Hons) from The John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Washington D.C. USA and a B.A, (Hons) in Political Science from The University of California, Santa Barbara. USA.

He is regularly sought-after to execute confidential personal briefings, internal company presentations on key political and economic outlooks and as well as being presenter at client events and senior level business conferences.