Joost Schouten (c. 1600 – 1644) was a Dutch East Indies Company figure of considerable repute, in demand as an astute administrator, diplomat, courtier and negotiator for this Dutch colonial and mercantile outpost in the South-East Asian archipelago today known as Indonesia.
[1] In 1633, Schouten returned to Siam as the Dutch colonial factory director in Ayutthaya and successfully negotiated for expanded operational facilities and further Dutch trade concessions in return for diplomatic negotiation assistance rendered to Somdet Phra Chao (r1629–1656), the king of Siam.
In 1635, Schouten maintained a record of his activities in Japan and Siam for his employers, one of the first reliable accounts of the region.
In 1642, he equipped Abel Tasman for his expedition to the Southwest Pacific, which was to circumnavigate Australia and lead to the European discovery of New Zealand.
[2] In July 1644, Joost Schouten was accused of sodomy, a crime punishable by water or fire.