HANVORAVONGCHAI, Piya

Dr. Piya Hanvoravongchai is a public health physician and expert in health policy and systems, with a particular focus on health financing and the development of equitable health systems. His career spans academic research, policy leadership, and capacity building, grounded in both global and local experience.

He began his career as a clinician and hospital director in rural Thailand before transitioning into research and policy. He recently served as Secretary-General of the National Health Foundation in Thailand. He has held academic positions as a lecturer in health policy at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University. He was a founding Co-Director of the Equity Initiative, a regional leadership program supporting emerging leaders from ASEAN countries and China, and the first Coordinator of the Asia-Pacific Action Alliance on Human Resources for Health.

Dr. Piya has provided technical guidance to ministries of health, global development agencies, and philanthropic organizations across the Asia-Pacific region. His contributions include serving on Thailand’s National Health Reform Commission and the Strategic Technical Advisory Committee of the Asia-Pacific Observatory on Health Systems and Policy.

• NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health

• Health Systems and Policy
• Health Economics and Financing
• Health Equity
• Global Health

• Comparative Health Systems

• Doctor of Science in Global Health and Population, Harvard School of Public Health
• Master of Science in International Health Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science
• Thai Board of Preventive Medicine (Clinical Preventive Medicine), Thai Medical Council
• Doctor of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University

• Senior Consultant, CMB Foundation
• Secretary General, National Health Foundation Thailand
• Program Director, the Equity Initiative
• Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University
• Lecturer in Health Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Research Associate, Global Equity Initiative, Harvard University
• Scientist/Health Economist, World Health Organization, Geneva

• Pholpark A, Mon HM, Lim LT, Tsilaajavd T, de Oliveira Cruz V, Hanvoravongchai P. (2025) Challenging inadequate and fragmented primary health care financing: Findings from Bangladesh, Indonesia, Maldives, and Nepal, Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia, Vol. 38,1006, 13 July 2025
• Coates M, Cheh PLJ, Suenghataiphorn T, Laohavinij W, Pholpark A, Ritthisirikul N, Khositchaiwat S, Hanvoravongchai P (2024) Maintaining non-communicable disease (NCD) services during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons from Thailand. BMJ Global Health; 8: e014695.
• Hanvoravongchai J, Wongrathanandha C, Hanvoravongchai P (2024) Lessons from workplace health promotion efforts in Thailand. Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia 25, 100393, JUNE 2024

• The Economist, Why is Thai Health Care So Good? The Country Could Become a Model for the Region July 4th 2024