Beatrice ZANI, IRASEC resident researcher, was interviewed by Tristan Hilderbrand for Colours of Taiwan on Radio Taiwan International. In the interview, she discussed aspects of her research conducted under the ANR FORSEA project, which examines migration and forced labor in the maritime economies of globalized Asia.

👉 The first two episodes can be listened to on RTI’s website.

Sous l’autorité de la direction à Bangkok et de l’agent comptable basé à Phnom Penh, et en relation avec les services financiers des tutelles, le poste de Chargé d’appui à la recherche et à la gestion de projets joue un rôle crucial dans la réalisation de projets de recherche en apportant un soutien organisationnel, administratif, financier, logistique et technique aux chercheurs principaux et aux projets de recherche de l’Institut.

Pongsa KANTASORN
IRASEC, Bangkok
May 2026, 26 p.
 French Text

The COVID-19 pandemic brought international tourism in Thailand to a standstill, leading to business closures, unemployment, and significant income losses for workers in the sector. Based on a qualitative survey conducted in Chiang Mai—based on 101 interviews between July 2021 and February 2022—this research examines the strategies adopted by the tourism workforce in response to the crisis.

Colloquium organized with the support of the CRISES laboratory, in partnership with the journal Relations internationales ; the Institute for Research on Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC) ; and the Institute for Strategic Research at École Militaire (IRSEM).

On June 1^st, Jérémy JAMMES will participate in the panel discussion “The Indochinese Peninsula : From War to Peace” with a presentation titled “Actors, Diplomacy, and Religious Soft Power in Vietnam Since 1945.” On June 2^nd, he will co-moderate, alongside Nicolas BADALASSI, Professor of Contemporary History at Sciences Po Aix, the panel discussion “From ASEAN to the Indo-Pacific : Shifting Geopolitical Challenges.”

Nicolas LAINÉ, associate research fellow at IRASEC, co-authored an article with Kim Fooyontphanich, Suthee Janyasuthiwong and Phattaravee Prommanut, published in “Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine” on April 29, 2026.

In this study, the interplay between animal feeding behaviors and the evolution of local human and veterinary pharmacopeias is examined through the lens of the Lua people and their water buffalos in Northern Thailand.

Read the article.

On April 6, 2026, Emmanuelle PEYVEL, an associate research fellow at IRASEC, was invited to the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), at the Centre for Research on Territorial Development (CRDT), as part of the Mesopolis chair focusing on small and medium-sized cities in transformation, led by Pham Thi Thanh Hien. On this occasion, she presented part of her research on Vietnamese high-altitude resorts, more specifically in relation to tourist practices linked to matrimonial events.

The journal Questions internationales, published by La Documentation française, analyzes in its April issue the numerous threats currently facing Asia. François-Xavier Bonnet and Christine Cabasset, associate research fellows at IRASEC, contributed articles on “The Philippines Facing Pressure from China” and “Indonesia : A Courted Strategic Partner,” respectively.

Clément Berthou, associate research fellow at IRASEC, will take part to CB+DC Conference (12-14 May, Kuala Lumpur), with the panel discussion about “Interoperability—Making New Digital Money Work” on 12 May, the panel discussion about “From Experiment to Infrastructure Digital Currency Comes of Age” on 13 May, and a presentation about “Cambodia’s Dollarization: Infrastructural Analysis of the Cambodian Monetary Framework and its Dynamics.”

Christine Cabasset and Éric Frécon wrote an article about the relations between Timor-Leste, Australia and China for The Strategist, the commentary and analysis site of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, an independent, non-partisan think tank based in Canberra.

Souvanxay PHETCHANPHENG and Pascale HANCART PETITET 
IRASEC, Bangkok
April 2026, 24 p.
English text

The urban migration of young people in Laos is often driven by the dual motivations of escaping poverty and seeking a different way of life. Previous research has demonstrated that rural-urban migration brings with it a mix of economic opportunities and heightened sexual risks. However, less attention has been given to sedentary populations residing in areas with significant migratory activity. While migration is often viewed in terms of economic opportunities, it also brings vulnerabilities, particularly in regions of rapid development like Special Economic Zones (SEZs).