Abhirada Komoot is a project coordinator for the Maritime Asia Heritage Survey in Thailand. Her dedication to maritime archaeology is evident in her broad background in archaeology, cultural heritage laws and management. Her field in which she is a recognised authority is maritime archaeology and cultural management. Her interest in this field was sparked in the last year of her first undergraduate degree at Silpakorn University when she joined an underwater archaeology training course. This hobby ignited her passion for the safeguarding of such heritage, leading her to pursue another degree in law from Thammasat University. She also worked as a local liaison for the UNESCO Asia-Pacific training courses on the protection of underwater cultural heritage. Her path to the heritage profession was presented to her at Leiden University, where she gained her MA in archaeological heritage management. During this time, she was offered a priceless opportunity to work with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands. Over decades in the field, she has been an active contributor to the academic circle. She has participated in numerous local and international activities, including being a member of the Asia-Pacific Conference on Underwater Cultural Heritage organising committee. She graduated with her doctorate from the University of Western Australia, examining maritime contacts through ancient ship technology of the Phanom-Surin ship, the 9th-century Indian Ocean sewn-plank ship, and other material cultural. Her work aims to rethink the existing civilisational approach and decentralise the academic mainstream, thereby adding significant value to Southeast Asia's maritime potential for the Indian Ocean connections. This includes the encouragement of multi-level collaborations. She firmly believes the well-being and sustainability of maritime cultural heritage require the local community's direct and autonomous involvement. Her current position provides her with an excellent platform to communicate with the public and academics about nonstereotyped research and empower minorities.

・ACADEMIA

Interviewing senior members of the Urak Lawoi group, the endangered maritime minority on Phi Phi Island (image taken by Mr Diew Thaleluk)

Maritime Asia Heritage Survey group in front of the Fonadhoo Old Friday Mosque, Laamu Atoll, the Maldives (photo taken by Jiraporn Kraichana)