Dr. Suwilai Premsrirat, Professor Emeritus

Academic Title :

Emeritus Professor

Email :

suwilai.pre@mahidol.ac.th

Contact :

Research Institute for Language and Culture of Asia, Mahidol University 999 Budhamonthon Sai 4, Salaya, Budhamonthon, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand. Tel : 0-2800-2323 Ext. 3301 Fax : 0-2800-233

Website :

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Education :

  • Ph.D. in Linguistics

Academic position :

  • Professor of Linguistics

Administrative position :

  • Past position : Director, Research Institute for Language and Culture of Asia, Mahidol University, Thailand
  • Present position : Director, Center of Documentation and Revitalization of Endangered Languages and Cultures, Research Institute for Language and Culture of Asia, Mahidol University, Thailand

Award receiver :

  • Mahidol Award of the year 2001, the outstanding Researcher
  • National Research Council of Thailand, the Best researcher in Philosophy of the year 2006
  • CIPL(Comite International Permanent des Linguistes) Award winner for The Endangered Languages 2008

Work and experience :

Suwilai Premsrirat has been researching and writing on ethnic minority languages in Thailand and mainland Southeast Asia since 1975 specializing in Mon-Khmer languages. Her major publications include a Thesaurus and Dictionary Series of Khmu in Southeast Asia ( which was the result of her extensive studies of Khmu in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and China), Ethnolinguistic mapping of Thailand, and Endangered languages. Her work on endangered languages includes a survey of endangered lanuages in Thailand; documentary work on languages in Thailand such as Nothern Khmer, So (Thavueng), Nyah Kur, Chong, Kasong as well as the Iduh language in Laos and Vietnam; and language revitalization programs for Chong, Nyah Kur, Thavueng, Gong, Lavua, Mpi, and Mlabri. Professor Suwilai is the founder of the Research Center for Documentation and Revitalization of Endangered Languages and Cultures. She is currently working in language planning for bilingual education, using Patani Malay as bridge language of instruction in Thailand’s Deep South.

Selected Publication :

1.Ethnoliguistic Mapping of Thailand

  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 2006. “Thailand: Language Situation” Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics 2nd Edition, Oxford: Elsevier Limited.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat et al. 2004. Ethnolinguistic Maps of Thailand. Ministry of Culture and Mahidol Unversity.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat and Naraset Pisitpanporn. 1999 “Language and ethnicity in the Korat plateau.” In Dry Areas in SEA: Harsh or Benign Environment? Center for SEA Studies, Kyoto University, Japan.

2.Khmu in Southeast Asia

  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 2004. “Register complex and tonogenesis in Khmu dialects.”MKS . 34:1-17.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 2002. “Appropriateness in Khmu Culture.” MKS . 32:117-129.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 2002. “Thesaurus and Dictionary Series of Khmu Dialects in Southeast Asia”. MKS . Publication No. 1
    Volume 1. Thesaurus of Khmu Dialects in Southeast Asia
    Volume 2. Dictionary of Khmu in China
    Volume 3. Dictionary of Khmu in Laos
    Volume 4. Dictionary of Khmu in Vietnam
    Volume 5. Dictionary of Khmu in Thailand
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 1999. Phonological variation and change in the Khmu dialects of northern Thailand. MKS . 29:57-69.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 1998. Khmu. Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Thailand (in Thai). Research Institute for Language and Culture of Asia, Mahidol. University
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 1991. “Aspects of inter-clausal relations in Khmu.” In Austroasiatic Language: Essays in Honor of Professor Harry Shorto. School of Oriental and African Studies, London University, London, U.K.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 1989. Khmu: A Minority Language of Thailand (including “A Khmu grammar” and “A study of Thai and Khmu cutting words”). Pacific Linguistics Series A 75, Canberra: The Australian National University.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 1988. Khmu Life Styles from 50 Conversation(in Thai). Research Institute for Language and Culture of Asia, Mahidol. University.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 1986. “ Worldview in Khmu”(in Thai). Thammasart Journal. 15.1: 94-113.

3.Documentation and Revitalization of Endangered Languages

  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 2008. “Language for National Reconciliation: Southern Thailand.” EENET. Enabling Education. Issue 12.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 2008. “Orthography Development for the Unwritten, a Tool for Revitalizing and Maintaining Ethnic Minority Language.” Journal of Language and Culture (in Thai). Research Institute for Language and Culture of Asia, Mahidol University
  • Suwilai Premsrirat, Siripen Ungsittipoonporn and Isara Choosri. 2008. Chong Dictionary. Center for Documentation and Revitalization of Endangered Languages. Research Institute for Language and Culture of Asia, Mahidol University
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 2007. An Experience in Revitalizing Endangered Languages of Thailand: Chong Language, Chantaburi (in Thai). Center for Documentation and Revitalization of Endangered Languages. Research Institute for Language and Culture of Asia. Mahidol University
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 2007. “Endangered Languages of Thailand” International Journal of Sociology of Language. 186(2007) : 75-93.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat and Dennis Malone. 2006. “Language development and language revitalization in Asia.” MKS . 35:101-120.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat and Pornsawan Ploykeao. 2006. Kasong and Sammre : Encyclopedia of Ethnic Groups in Thailand. Research Institute for Language and Culture of Asia, Mahidol. University
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 2001. “The future of Nyah Kur”. In Robert S. Bauer, ed. Collected Papers on Southeast Asian and Pacific Linguistics. pp. 155-165, Canberra: The Australian National University.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 2000. So (Thavung) Dictionary. University of Melbourne Press.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 1998. “Language maintenance and language shift in minority languages of Thailand”. In Studies in Endangered Languages. Papers from the International Symposium on Endangered Languages, Tokyo, November 18-20 1995, ed. Kazuto Matsumura, Tokyo, Japan.

4.Work on ethnic minority languages in general

  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 1997. “Linguistic contributions to the study of the Northern Khmer Language of Thailand in the last two decades.” MKS . 27:129-136.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 1996. “Phonological characteristics of So (Thavung), a Vietic language of Thailand.” MKS. 26:161-178.
  • Suwilai Premsrirat. 1994. “Phonetic variation of final trill and final palatals in Khmer dialects of Thailand.” MKS. 24:1-26