Paetongtarn Shinawatra facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paetongtarn Shinawatra RThBh
แพทองธาร ชินวัตร
Paetongtarn in 2024
31st Prime Minister of Thailand
Suspended
Assumed office 16 August 2024
Monarch	Vajiralongkorn
Deputy	See list Phumtham Wechayachai Suriya Juangroongruangkit Anutin Charnvirakul Pirapan Salirathavibhaga Pichai Chunhavajira Prasert Jantararuangtong
Preceded by	Phumtham Wechayachai (acting)
Minister of Culture
Incumbent
Assumed office 30 June 2025
Prime Minister	Herself Suriya Juangroongruangkit (acting) Phumtham Wechayachai (acting)
Preceded by	Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol
Leader of the Pheu Thai Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 October 2023
Preceded by	Chusak Sirinil (acting)
Head of the Pheu Thai Family
In office 20 March 2022 – 27 October 2023
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	(1986-08-21) 21 August 1986 (age 38) Bangkok, Thailand
Political party	Pheu Thai
Spouse	Pitaka Suksawat ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	2
Parents	Thaksin Shinawatra (father) Potjaman Damapong (mother)
Relatives	Shinawatra family
Education	Chulalongkorn University (BA) University of Surrey (MSc)
Occupation	Politician businesswoman
Signature
Nickname	Ung Ing (อุ๊งอิ๊ง)

Paetongtarn Shinawatra (born 21 August 1986) is a Thai politician. She became the leader of the Pheu Thai Party in 2023. In 2024, she became the 31st prime minister of Thailand.

Paetongtarn is part of the Shinawatra family. She is the youngest child of Thaksin Shinawatra, who was also a prime minister. Her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, was also a prime minister. Paetongtarn, often called Ung Ing, is the youngest person to become prime minister of Thailand. She is also the second woman to hold this important job, after her aunt. She has also been the Minister of Culture since June 30, 2025.

On July 1, 2025, Paetongtarn was temporarily removed from her position by the Constitutional Court of Thailand. The deputy prime minister, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, then became Thailand's acting leader.

Early Life and Education

Paetongtarn was born in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 21, 1986. She went to St. Joseph's Convent School for her junior high education. She then attended Mater Dei School for her high school years.

In 2008, Paetongtarn earned a degree in political science from Chulalongkorn University. She focused on how societies and cultures work. After that, she moved to England to continue her studies. In 2009, she received a master's degree in international hotel management from the University of Surrey.

Business Career

Paetongtarn is a major owner of SC Asset Corporation, a company. She also serves as a director for the Thaicom Foundation. This foundation is supported by her family's wealth. In 2022, she was involved with 21 different companies. These companies were valued at about 68 billion Thai baht, which is around $2 billion USD.

Political Journey

On March 20, 2022, Paetongtarn was chosen as the "Head of the Pheu Thai Family" at a meeting of the Pheu Thai Party. In April 2022, she spoke at the party's yearly meeting. She shared her wish to see changes in Thailand's government. She also said she wanted to gain more experience before trying to become prime minister.

Paetongtarn became a top choice for prime minister in public surveys. In April 2023, she was officially named as one of three candidates for prime minister from the Pheu Thai Party. This was for the general election. The other candidates were Srettha Thavisin and Chaikasem Nitisiri.

After the election in May 2023, the Pheu Thai Party won the second-highest number of seats. The Move Forward Party won the most. Paetongtarn said she was disappointed her party didn't come first. However, she was ready to work with the Move Forward Party and others to form a government. Later, the Pheu Thai Party decided not to work with the Move Forward Party.

On August 9, she and other party leaders met with Move Forward Party leaders. They discussed supporting a candidate for prime minister. The next day, it was reported that Paetongtarn told the Move Forward Party that Pheu Thai needed to include the Palang Pracharath Party in their government. This led to the Move Forward Party deciding not to support Pheu Thai's candidate. After many discussions, Srettha Thavisin was chosen as prime minister by the parliament of Thailand.

On September 13, 2023, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin created a new committee. It was called the National Soft Power Strategy Committee. He appointed Paetongtarn as its Deputy Chairperson. Later, on October 3, she received two more roles. She became the Chairperson of the National Soft Power Development Committee. She also joined a committee for King Vajiralongkorn's 72nd Birthday Anniversary. On October 7, she was also named Deputy Chairperson of the National Health System Development Committee.

On October 27, 2023, Paetongtarn was elected as the new leader of the Pheu Thai Party. She received 289 votes from the party's main members.

Becoming Prime Minister (2024–Present)

On August 14, 2024, the Constitutional Court of Thailand removed Srettha Thavisin from his role as prime minister. The Pheu Thai Party then nominated Paetongtarn to take his place. On August 16, the House of Representatives approved her nomination. No other parties in the government suggested different candidates. This made her the youngest person and the second woman to become Prime Minister of Thailand. She officially took office on August 18, after the King approved her. Her cabinet, or group of ministers, was sworn in on September 6.

Her time as prime minister has been affected by her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, returning to Thailand. The opposition parties tried to remove her from office. They claimed she allowed her father to control the government and that she wasn't making her own decisions. However, Paetongtarn survived this challenge and remained in her position.

Government Plans

On September 12, 2024, Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her cabinet shared their plans with Parliament. They listed ten main goals to work on right away. These included helping people with debt and supporting Thai businesses. They also aimed to lower costs for energy and utilities. Another goal was to bring informal businesses into the tax system.

Other plans included boosting the economy with digital money. They also wanted to improve farming and promote tourism. The government also focused on preventing crime. Finally, they aimed to improve social support for people who need it most. After this announcement, Paetongtarn visited Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai. She went there to see the flood situation in northern Thailand.

Domestic Policy

Economy

Digital Wallet Plan

Paetongtarn has been in charge of the 10,000-baht Digital wallet scheme. This was a main economic plan of the Pheu Thai Party. It was first promised during the 2023 election. The idea was to give money to almost all Thais aged 16 and older. This was meant to boost the country's economy.

However, since Paetongtarn's government took office, the plan has changed a lot. It has also faced delays and criticism. The first idea to pay for the 500 billion baht plan with a special loan was stopped. This was due to legal worries. Instead, the government used money from the national budget. Also, not everyone could get the money anymore. People with high incomes or a lot of savings were not included.

Phase 1 started in September 2024. About 14.5 million people received 10,000 baht in cash. This included people with welfare cards and disabilities. Phase 2 happened between January and April 2025. About 3 million senior citizens aged 60 and over received cash. The third phase, which would have given money to young people aged 16–20 through an app, has been put on hold. In May 2025, the government said this was because the global economy was not doing well. They decided to use the remaining money for other urgent needs. These included building new roads and promoting tourism. Paetongtarn has said that the plan is not canceled. She believes the government will still keep its promise when the economy gets better. This plan has been a big part of her time as prime minister. Some people support it, hoping it helps families. Others, like economists, criticize it for being expensive and question if it really helps the economy.

Tourism Development

Paetongtarn Shinawatra has made tourism a top priority for Thailand's economy. She is very involved in making policies and promoting Thailand around the world. Her government wants to improve Thailand's image globally. They also aim to make tourists safer and earn more money from visitors. They hope to attract high-spending tourists and make Thailand a popular place to visit all year.

One important project she leads is the "Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism and Sports Year 2025." This is a year-long series of festivals and big sports events. It is designed to attract many visitors. This campaign is part of a bigger plan called "Ignite Thailand." This plan aims to make Thailand a global center for tourism and other key industries. In early 2025, she personally promoted this plan at international travel events. She set a big goal to attract 39 million tourists and earn 3.5 trillion baht in 2025. By early June 2025, Thailand had already welcomed over 15 million international visitors. This shows a strong recovery in tourism. However, some experts think that reaching the full-year goals might be hard. This is because of a slower global economy and more competition from other countries nearby.

Southern Land Bridge Project

Paetongtarn Shinawatra has made the 1-trillion-baht Southern Land Bridge project a key part of her government's economic plans. She is the main supporter and promoter of this project around the world. Her job involves guiding the policy, attracting investments, and managing different groups involved. This is one of Thailand's biggest and most debated projects. The project aims to build a 90-kilometer path for goods. It includes deep-sea ports in Ranong (on the Andaman Sea) and Chumphon (on the Gulf of Thailand). These ports would be connected by a highway and a double-track railway. This would create a new way for ships to travel, avoiding the busy Strait of Malacca. She has said that it will cut shipping times by several days and lower costs by up to 15%. She also believes it will create about 280,000 jobs and help the country's economy grow.

She has promoted the project during many trips overseas and at big events in Thailand. She has actively sought interest from global companies, especially during her visit to China in February 2025. She has also mentioned interest from companies in China, the Middle East, and banks like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

Entertainment Complex Project

Under Paetongtarn's leadership, the Thai government has moved forward with plans to allow large "entertainment complexes." This plan aims to attract foreign money, boost tourism, create jobs, and bring the country's widespread informal gambling activities under official control. This would help increase government income. Paetongtarn has strongly supported this idea. She sees it as a way to create new tourist spots and make Thailand more competitive globally. She has said that the project will help the economy without using taxpayer money. This is because the huge investment needed (around 100 billion baht per complex) will come from private companies. The government believes these complexes could boost the economy, increase tourist numbers, and bring in 12 to 40 billion baht in taxes each year.

In January 2025, the Thai cabinet generally approved the Entertainment Complex Bill. This bill provides the legal rules for these planned developments. The bill describes creating several large resort projects. These would include five-star hotels, shopping centers, concert halls, theme parks, and other entertainment facilities. The law states that areas for casino operations must be no more than 10 percent of the total space in each complex.

Some groups, including religious organizations, have opposed this plan. They worry about possible negative effects like more crime. There is also a group of citizens trying to get a national vote on the issue. Despite this, Paetongtarn's government continues to push the project forward. They see it as a key part of their long-term economic plan.

After her temporary removal as Prime Minister in June 2025, the future of this law was uncertain. The bill was supposed to be discussed on July 9, 2025. However, on July 7, the bill was withdrawn.

Foreign Policy

Paetongtarn with U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken in 2024

Paetongtarn with President Bongbong Marcos at 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in 2025

In February 2025, Paetongtarn ordered that electricity, internet, and fuel supplies be stopped to five border areas in Myanmar. This was part of a bigger effort with other countries to stop online scams. This decision was made because people wanted action against online scams. Thailand's National Security Council and other government groups agreed to it. The scam operations involved fake romantic schemes, false investment offers, and illegal gambling. The money earned from selling electricity to these areas was about 600 million baht ($17.8 million) each year.

During her first official trip to China from February 5–8, 2025, Paetongtarn focused on making Thailand's ties with China stronger. She discussed areas like electric cars, computer chips, and data centers. She met with General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping to talk about different topics and attend the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin. Chinese leader Xi Jinping thanked Paetongtarn Shinawatra for Thailand's strong actions against scam networks that targeted Chinese people. He specifically praised her government's recent decision to cut off electricity to three major crime areas just across the Thai-Myanmar border.

Cambodia Border Situation

After a border clash at Chong Bok that resulted in a Cambodian soldier's death, Paetongtarn quickly told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to calm things down through official talks. At the same time, she strongly stated Thailand's claims to its land. She told the public that her government had been talking with the armed forces since the border incident. She stressed that Thailand wants peace but is ready to protect its people. In a public statement, she said, "Thailand is a peaceful nation, but we are fully prepared to protect our people. While we prioritize peaceful solutions, our military is ready should clashes occur."

She gave a speech in parliament, saying: "We will not give away even one square inch of land, but we will not go to war over misunderstandings either."

She also visited the tense border area to offer support. However, she publicly insisted on a peaceful solution. This was different from the stronger words used by some military leaders. Behind the scenes, Paetongtarn used her personal connections. She used the long-standing relationship between her family and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to try and calm the situation. This led to a private phone call between the two leaders on June 15, 2025.

Phone Call Leak

On June 18, 2025, a 9-minute part of the phone call between Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Hun Sen was made public. Hun Sen later admitted that he had recorded the call from June 15. He said he shared the recording with about 80 Cambodian officials. Later on June 18, Hun Sen posted the entire 17-minute call on Facebook. He said he did this "to avoid any misunderstanding or misrepresentation." Paetongtarn confirmed on the same day that it was her speaking in the leaked call.

The recording showed Paetongtarn calling Hun Sen "uncle" and herself his "niece." She asked him to ignore "our opponents." Paetongtarn mentioned a Thai general, Boonsin Padklang, saying he "wanted to look smart" and "said what was not beneficial to the nation." (General Boonsin had said Thailand was "ready to fight.") Instead, Paetongtarn said: "we want the peace that happened before the clash at the border." Paetongtarn also said she did not publicly react to Hun Sen's strong Facebook posts about the border. She explained this was because she "loves and respects" Hun Sen. Paetongtarn also said that if Hun Sen "wants anything, he can just tell me, and I will take care of it."

Many people in Thailand and her political opponents felt her comments made her seem weak and inexperienced. They also felt it harmed the country's honor and the military's spirit. Paetongtarn also showed frustration about political pressure and criticism she faced for how she handled the border situation. After the leak, several ministers from the Bhumjaithai Party, which was the second-largest party in the government, resigned. This led to their party leaving the government. This event caused protests and calls for her to resign.

After the leak, Paetongtarn responded quickly but could not fully stop the political problems. At a press conference on June 18, 2025, she confirmed the recording was real. She defended her comments, saying they were part of a "private conversation" and a "negotiation strategy." She said this was to calm tensions with Hun Sen, who was reportedly angry about comments from a senior Thai military officer. Paetongtarn accused Hun Sen of breaking trust between countries. She suggested the leak was planned to make him more popular in his own country. She announced that she would not have private discussions in the future because of "trust issues."

Paetongtarn denied any problems with the Thai military. She said her comments were misunderstood. She also said she had contacted the general she mentioned to explain the situation. In response, the Bhumjaithai Party said her actions harmed the country's reputation. They claimed it made "the country, people, and army lose dignity." The party leaving the government meant that the Pheu Thai-led government had only a small majority in parliament. This put its stability at risk.

On July 1, 2025, Thailand's Constitutional Court of Thailand temporarily removed Paetongtarn as prime minister. This was part of an investigation into her ethics regarding the phone call. She was replaced by Suriya Jungrungreangkit and then Phumtham Wechayachai. Phumtham included her in his temporary cabinet as culture minister.

Political Views

Paetongtarn during a speech after being elected leader of the Pheu Thai Party in 2023

Social Issues

Paetongtarn has modern views on many social topics. She supports LGBT rights. She attended the Bangkok Pride Parade in 2023 with MFP's Pita Limjaroenrat. She also supports changing the constitution and ending military conscription. However, she does not support changing Thailand's laws about insulting the monarchy.

Even though Paetongtarn and her party promised not to form a government with military-linked parties, their government included both the United Thai Nation and Palang Pracharath parties. This led to a lot of criticism.

Economics

In a 2023 interview, Paetongtarn described herself as a "socially liberal capitalist." She said that her party and Srettha Thavisin wanted to focus on everyday issues and making the economy better. She supports "capitalism with empathy." She also supports slowly raising the minimum wage and putting in place a ฿10,000 digital wallet scheme.

In May 2024, Paetongtarn told party members that the law keeping the Bank of Thailand (BoT) separate from the government "is a problem and a significant obstacle in fixing economic problems." She was talking about the 2.50% interest rate, which was the highest in ten years. Srettha Thavisin believed this rate was hurting small businesses and stopping government efforts to boost the economy. Paetongtarn said the BoT's money policy "refuses to understand and cooperate" and would make it harder to reduce high levels of debt.

Suspension by Thailand's Constitutional Court

On July 1, 2025, Thailand's Constitutional Court voted 7-2 to temporarily remove Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from her official duties. This decision came after 36 senators asked the court to investigate her. They accused her of not being honest and breaking ethical rules. The main issue was a leaked phone call she had with Cambodia's former Prime Minister, Hun Sen, on June 15. This call happened during a tense border dispute that had become worse after a clash on May 28, where a Cambodian soldier died. In the call, which was about 17 minutes long (a nine-minute part was made public), Paetongtarn called Hun Sen "uncle." She also promised that "if there's anything you want, just let me know and I'll take care of it." She also criticized a Thai military commander, General Boonsin Padklang. She said he "just wanted to look tough" and that his comments were "not beneficial to the nation." Hun Sen later said he had recorded the full call and put it on Facebook to "avoid any misunderstanding." The phone call quickly caused a big negative reaction in Thailand. The Bhumjaithai Party, the second-largest party in her government, stopped supporting her. They said her actions harmed the country's dignity. The senators' request, submitted on June 20, claimed Paetongtarn broke parts of the Thai Constitution. They said she misused her position and harmed the country's interests. The Constitutional Court accepted the case. They gave her 15 days to present her defense. During this time, Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit served as acting Prime Minister.

Personal Life

Paetongtarn's nickname is Ung Ing, sometimes shortened to Ing. She is married to Pitaka Suksawat. He is a Thai businessman who works as the Deputy Chief Investment Officer of Rende Development Co., Ltd. He is also on the board of the Thaicom Foundation.

Pitak and Paetongtarn have two children. Their daughter, Thitara Suksawat, was born on January 10, 2021. Their son, Phrutthasin Suksawat, was born on May 1, 2023, just before the 2023 Thai general election that same month.

In her asset declaration for 2024, she reported owning 217 luxury handbags and 75 luxury watches. Her total net worth was over $400 million USD.

Honours

Paetongtarn has received the following royal awards in Thailand's Honours System:

• 2005 – Gold Medal (Sixth Class) of the Most Admirable Order Direkgunabhorn