Surachet Pravinvongvuth

Surachet Pravinvongvuth (, ; born 3 February 1978) is a Thai politician and former academic. He currently serves as a Member of the Thai House of Representatives, elected through the party-list system, representing the People's Party, the de facto successor to the Move Forward Party. He is also the Chairperson of the Committee on Budgeting Study and Budget Administration Follow-Up. Previously, he served as a faculty member at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), with professional expertise in transportation systems.

Biography Surachet was born on 3 February 1978 in Bangkok. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Chulalongkorn University (1999), a Master’s degree in infrastructure planning and management from the Asian Institute of Technology (2001), and a Ph.D. in transportation engineering from Utah State University, USA

Career Surachet has worked as a researcher and visiting lecturer at several academic and research institutions both in Thailand and abroad, including in Norway and the United States. He has held over 20 positions as chairperson, vice chairperson, secretary, or member in various committees, sub-committees, working groups, and procurement or project-monitoring bodies, many of which focused on achieving targeted policy outcomes.

His diverse hands-on experience, especially as Head of the Traffic System Research and Development Department at the Expressway Authority of Thailand, led to his appointment as full-time faculty at AIT, where he served in the Transportation Engineering program under the School of Engineering and Technology.

In March 2018, Surachet resigned from AIT and joined Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and a group of like-minded individuals to establish the Future Forward Party. He was elected as the 8th-ranked party-list MP in the 2019 Thai general election. Following the dissolution of the party by the Constitutional Court, he, along with his fellow MPs from the same party, joined the Move Forward Party, where he became Deputy Secretary-General and was re-elected as a party-list MP in the 2023 general election. Following the dissolution of the party, again by the Constitutional Court, he, along with his fellow MPs from the same party, joined the People's Party.

During his first term in parliament, Surachet, serving as the party’s transportation expert, played a key role in scrutinizing and debating the Ministry of Transport’s performance under the government of General Prayut Chan-o-cha, with Saksayam Chidchob as Minister of Transport. His noteworthy debates included criticism of budget allocation disparities favoring Buriram, corruption allegations concerning the Orange Line electric railway project, and critiques of the government’s MR-MAP (Motorway and Railway Master Plan).

Under the Srettha Thavisin and Paetongtarn Shinawatra administration, with Suriya Juangroongruangkit as Minister of Transport, Surachet has continued to lead in policy debates, covering issues such as the government’s 20-baht flat fare policy, the Land Bridge project, the High-Speed Rail Linking Three Airports Project, and the submission of new bills on railways, common transport tickets,

Member of the House of Representatives

Surachet has been elected as a party-list Member of the House of Representatives for two terms: 2019 Thai general election, representing the Future Forward Party, and later the Move Forward Party; and 2023 Thai general election, representing the Move Forward Party, and later People's Party.

Standing Committee Memberships Chairperson, House Committee on Budgeting Study and Budget Administration Follow-Up (2024–present) Vice Chairperson, House Committee on Budgeting Study and Budget Administration Follow-Up (2019–2024) Vice Chairperson, House Committee on Transport (2019–present) Chairperson, Sub-Committee on Budget Scrutiny and Evaluation for Major Infrastructure Projects under the House Committee on Budgeting Study and Budget Administration Follow-Up (2023) Vice Chairperson, Sub-Committee on Road Safety Legislation Oversight under the House Committee on Transport (2022–2023) Chairperson, Sub-Committee on Innovation for Traffic and Transport Solutions under the House Committee on Transport (2021–2022) Vice Chairperson, Sub-Committee on Solutions for State Railway of Thailand Issues under the House Committee on Transport (2020–2021) Chairperson, (2001–2006) Research Assistant, Utah State University, USA