Dr Surin Pitsuwan has been a Member of the Thai Parliament since 1986 and has served in the same constituency for seven consecutive terms. In 1986, he was appointed Secretary to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Subsequent appointments were as Assistant Secretary to the Minister of Interior in 1988 and as Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister from 1992-1995. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1992-2001.

He is currently a member of the Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization, a Member of the International Advisory Board of the Council on Foreign Relations, a Member of the International Advisory Board of the International Crisis Group (ICG) and a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Asia Foundation.

Dr Pitsuwan taught at Thammasat University from 1975 to 1986 where he was appointed Assistant Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and has worked as a columnist for the Nation Review and the Bangkok Post as well as a correspondent and analyst for the ASEAN Forecast. Between 1983 and 1984, Dr. Pitsuwan worked as a Congressional Fellow in the office of US Congress-woman Geraldine A. Ferraro and the Senate Republican Conference.