École française d'Extrême-Orient
Although the bulk of Thani's early research dealt with pollen of modern flora, in the late 1970s turned his attention to fossil pollen as well. Thani was invited to conduct a palynological investigation of the Borobudur monument by the Indonesian government and École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO). The palynological analysis and study helped identify six phases in the history of the UNESCO World Heritage Site spanning 600AD to 1900AD.