Supakorn Buasai is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. His previous posts with the organization include Deputy Director of the Health Systems Research Institute, Policy Analyst for the Tobacco Control Unit and Bureau of Policy and Planning, and Director of two rural hospitals in southern Thailand. His chief areas of expertise include research management, with particular emphasis on policy-linked research; management for social mobilization; and policy advocacy, including successfully implementing policy change with regard to tobacco tax increases, the amending of the Hospital Act, national health security legislation, the national health system reform decree and the Thai Health Promotion Foundation Act. He has also been a member of the National Tobacco Control Committee, the Health Promotion and Public Relation Committee, National Road Safety Board and the National Alcohol Consumption Board.
In addition to the MD awarded to Dr. Buasai by the Ramathibhodee Medical School of Mahidol University (1983), he holds a Bachelors in Economics from the Ramkamhang University (1984) and a Doctorial Degree in Public Health for the University of Hawaii where he was a scholar at the East-West Center (1992). Thaihealth is the short name for the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. It is a state agency under the supervision of the prime minister. The office commenced operation in April 2001. ThaiHealth was established by Health Promotion Foundation Act, B.E. 2544 (2001). The Act has authorised its status of statutory public organisation plus provided an earmarked taxation as its primary funding source.
ThaiHealth has been responsible for encouraging, supporting, and funding a variety of projects that promote the public health with the aim of reducing sickness and premature death rates. ThaiHealth also encourages changing behavioural patterns and believes that beneficial environmental changes will contribute to an improved quality of life for Thais.