Dr. Noppadol Phienwej, a faculty member at the Asian Institute of Technology, has 29 years' experience in geotechnical engineering as an academic and consultant.  His areas of interest and expertise are underground excavations, tunnelling, dam engineering and slope stability. He is now the president cum the honorary secretary of the Southeast Asian Geotechnical Society.  He was the past chairman of the Thailand National Group of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association (TUTG). He was also the past chairman of the Geotechnical Committee of the Engineering Institute of Thailand. He has been involved in a number of major infrastructure development projects in Thailand and Southeast Asian countries (building foundations, hydropower dams, irrigation dams, transport and utility tunnels, long water diversion tunnel projects, MRT projects, airports, etc.).