Surawit holds two bachelor's degrees from Chiang Mai University, one in Science and one in Medicine and graduated in 1971 and 1973 respectively.
He then received a scholarship from the World Health Organization to study and carry out research in Eyes in Japan and India during 1979–1981.
[4] He is also a board member and helped found The Foundation to Prevent Blindness: Ministry of Health.
He is currently a Secretary of the board of directors of MP in the North Eastern Region of Pheu Thai Party.
In a major cabinet reshuffle on 18 January 2012, he was reassigned to Deputy Minister of Public Health.