JALAN Civic Lab Visits ISIS Malaysia, Following Book Chapter Contribution on UAE-ASEAN Cooperation
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
JALAN Civic Lab is pleased to announce that its Executive Director, Matt Yutthaworakool, has contributed a chapter to a newly published edited volume by the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia, one of Southeast Asia’s leading policy research institutes.
To mark the publication, Matt also visited the ISIS Malaysia office on 14 April 2026, engaging with the institute and situating the contribution within ongoing regional policy dialogue.
Titled From the Gulf to Southeast Asia: UAE–ASEAN Cooperation in Security, Sustainability and Shared Prosperity, the volume brings together regional and international scholars to examine emerging linkages between Southeast Asia and the Gulf across economic, political, and development domains. The book is edited by Mohammed Zahid, Maryam Nabeelah, and Tan Wan-Peng.
Repositioning Thailand’s Medical Tourism as Strategic Policy
The chapter, “Lessons from Thailand’s Success in Medical Tourism”, was co-authored by Matt and Jazreen Jefri, a PhD candidate in International Development Studies at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Rather than treating medical tourism as a narrow sectoral success, the chapter reframes Thailand’s experience as a strategic model of service-led development. It traces how Thailand has positioned itself as a global healthcare hub through the alignment of:
State policy and long-term national strategy
Private sector investment in world-class healthcare infrastructure
Integration with tourism and service industries
Branding and international patient outreach
The chapter argues that Thailand’s success lies not only in cost competitiveness, but in its ability to synchronise healthcare, hospitality, and global mobility systems, creating a hybrid model that delivers both economic value and international credibility. Importantly, the analysis situates medical tourism within broader ASEAN–Gulf cooperation, identifying opportunities in cross-border healthcare investment, knowledge transfer and capacity building, and patient mobility, as well as in regional health ecosystems.
Advancing Policy-Relevant Research Across Regions
This contribution reflects JALAN Civic Lab’s broader mission to connect research, policy, and practice across Asia and beyond. The chapter builds on ongoing work at the intersection of the political economy of service industries, regional cooperation and development models, and inclusive and sustainable growth strategies
By contributing to this volume and engaging directly with ISIS Malaysia, JALAN Civic Lab deepens its connections with regional policy communities and reinforces its role as a bridge between Southeast Asia and global development conversations.
As ASEAN and Gulf countries seek new forms of collaboration beyond traditional trade and energy ties, From the Gulf to Southeast Asia offers a timely exploration of South–South cooperation in a shifting global order. The inclusion of Thailand’s medical tourism case underscores a key message: future regional partnerships will increasingly be shaped by how countries organise knowledge, services, and people across borders.
Should you be interested in the book, please stay tuned. ISIS Malaysia is in the process of publishing this book and is preparing for the launch. Details will be provided soon.
If you are interested in future thinking across civic, climate, digital, and data democracy, JALAN Civic Lab welcomes collaboration.
📩 Contact us:jalanciviclab@gmail.com
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