This panel aims to celebrate the extraordinary scholarship of Professor Piriya Krairiksh, the distinguished Thai art historian, on the occasion of his eightieth birthday in 2022. A festschrift in his honour is also under preparation for the occasion. The most fitting way to celebrate our esteemed mentor and colleague, who has dedicated himself to teaching and fundamental research on Thai and Southeast Asian art and archaeology is to support further scholarship and debate on the issues in these fields. The panel seeks to gather scholars of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds from the intersecting fields of art history, anthropology, history, and archaeology, for a discussion of specific areas in which Achan Piriya has pioneered and greatly contributed to.

We look forward to an active panel discussion and paper presentations with lively intellectual exchange on some of the central questions related to the art and early history of Thailand and Southeast Asia.