Paetongtarn Shinawatra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paetongtarn Shinawatra
RThBh
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แพทองธาร ชินวัตร
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Paetongtarn in 2024
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| 31st Prime Minister of Thailand | |
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Suspended
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| Assumed office 16 August 2024 |
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| 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 | |
| Assumed office 30 June 2025 |
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| Prime Minister | Herself Suriya Juangroongruangkit (acting) |
| Preceded by | Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol |
| Leader of the Pheu Thai Party | |
| Assumed office 27 October 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Chusak Sirinil (acting) |
| Head of the Pheu Thai Family | |
| In office 20 March 2022 – 27 October 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 August 1986 Bangkok, Thailand |
| Political party | Pheu Thai |
| Spouse |
Pitaka Suksawat
(m. 2019) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents |
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| Relatives | Shinawatra family |
| Education |
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| Occupation |
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| Signature | .svg) |
| Nickname | Ung Ing (อุ๊งอิ๊ง) |
Paetongtarn Shinawatra (born August 21, 1986) is a Thai politician. She became the leader of the Pheu Thai Party in 2023. In 2024, she was chosen as the 31st prime minister of Thailand. She is part of the Shinawatra family, which includes other important political figures. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was also a prime minister, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, was the 28th 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, following her aunt. She has also served as the Minister of Culture since June 30, 2025.
On July 1, 2025, she was temporarily stopped from serving as prime minister by the Constitutional Court. The deputy prime minister, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, then took over as Thailand's acting leader.
Contents
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. Later, she attended Mater Dei School for her high school studies.
She then studied at Chulalongkorn University, where she earned a degree in political science in 2008. Her studies focused on how societies work and human cultures. After that, she moved to England to continue her education. She earned 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 that deals with property. She is also a director at the Thaicom Foundation, which 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 US dollars.
Political Career
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 how Thailand was governed. She also said she wanted to gain more experience before trying to become prime minister.
Paetongtarn became a popular 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 for the general election. The other candidates were Srettha Thavisin and Chaikasem Nitisiri.
After the general election in May 2023, the Pheu Thai Party won the second-highest number of seats in the House of Representatives. The Move Forward Party won the most seats. Paetongtarn said she was disappointed her party didn't come in first. However, she was ready to work with the Move Forward Party and other parties to form a government.
Later, the Pheu Thai Party decided not to form a government with the Move Forward Party. On August 9, she and other Pheu Thai leaders met with Move Forward Party leaders. They discussed choosing a candidate for the third round of prime minister voting. 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 the Move Forward Party to decide not to support Pheu Thai's candidate. After weeks of talks, Srettha Thavisin was chosen as prime minister by the parliament of Thailand.
On September 13, 2023, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin created the National Soft Power Strategy Committee. He appointed Paetongtarn as its Deputy Chairperson. Later, on October 3, she was given two more roles. She became the Chairperson of the National Soft Power Development Committee. She also joined a committee for the celebrations of King Vajiralongkorn's 72nd Birthday. On October 7, she was also made Deputy Chairperson of the National Health System Development Committee.
On October 27, 2023, Paetongtarn was chosen by the main members of the Pheu Thai Party to be their new leader. She received 289 votes.
Premiership (2024–present)
After Srettha Thavisin was no longer prime minister on August 14, 2024, Paetongtarn was chosen by Pheu Thai to take his place. The House of Representatives approved her nomination on August 16. This made her the youngest person and the second woman to become Prime Minister of Thailand. She officially took office on August 18 after King Vajiralongkorn approved her. Her cabinet, or group of ministers, was sworn in on September 6.
Her time as prime minister has been affected by the return of her father, Thaksin Shinawatra. He is a very well-known and sometimes controversial political figure in Thailand. This led to a challenge from other political parties. They claimed she was letting her father control the government and wasn't making her own decisions. Paetongtarn survived this challenge and remained in her position.
Administration
On September 12, 2024, Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her cabinet presented their plans to Parliament. They listed ten main goals to work on right away. These included helping people manage their debts 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, improving farming, and promoting tourism. They also focused on preventing crime. Finally, they wanted to improve help for people in need, especially those without a clear nationality and ethnic groups. After announcing these plans, Paetongtarn visited Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai on September 13, 2024. She went to see the flood situation in northern Thailand.
Domestic Policy
Economy
Digital Wallet Scheme
Paetongtarn has been in charge of a big economic plan called the 10,000-baht Digital wallet scheme. This was a main promise of the Pheu Thai Party during the 2023 election. The plan was to give 10,000 baht in digital money to almost all Thais aged 16 and older. The goal was to boost the country's economy.
However, since Paetongtarn's government took office, the plan has changed a lot. It has faced delays and questions about how it would be paid for. The original idea was to fund it with a special loan, but this was stopped due to legal concerns. Instead, the government decided to use 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.
The first part of the plan started in September 2024. About 14.5 million people, including those with state welfare cards and disabilities, received 10,000 baht in cash. The second part, from January to April 2025, gave cash to about 3 million senior citizens. The part that was supposed to give digital money to young people aged 16-20 has been put off for now. 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 projects, like building roads and promoting tourism. Paetongtarn has said that the plan is not canceled and that the government will still do it when the economy gets better. This policy has been a big part of her time as prime minister. Some people support it because it helps families, but others worry about its high cost and whether it truly helps the economy.
Tourism Development
Paetongtarn Shinawatra has made tourism the most important way to grow Thailand's economy. She is very involved in making plans and promoting Thailand to other countries. Her government wants to make Thailand look even better to the world. They also want to make sure tourists are safe. The goal is to earn more money by attracting visitors who spend more and to make Thailand a place people visit all year round.
A key 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 to attract visitors. This campaign is part of a bigger plan called "Ignite Thailand." This plan aims to make Thailand a world leader in tourism and other important 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, showing a strong recovery. However, some economic experts think that reaching the full-year goals might be hard. This is because the global economy is slowing down, and other countries in the region are also trying to attract tourists.
Southern Land Bridge Project
Paetongtarn Shinawatra has made the 1-trillion-baht Southern Land Bridge project a main part of her government's economic plan. She is the project's biggest supporter and promotes it around the world. Her role involves guiding the project, finding investors, and working with everyone involved. This is one of Thailand's most ambitious and talked-about large projects. The project aims to build a 90-kilometer path for moving goods. This includes large 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 to transport goods by sea, 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 as a great chance for investment during many trips overseas and at big events in Thailand. She has actively tried to get interest from big companies around the world, especially during her visit to China in February 2025. She has also mentioned that companies from China, the Middle East (like Dubai Port World), and banks like the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) are interested in investing.
Casino Legalization Project
Under Paetongtarn's leadership, the Thai government has moved forward with plans to allow casinos. This is part of a bigger plan to build large "entertainment complexes." The idea is to attract money from other countries, boost tourism, create jobs, and make Thailand's widespread illegal gambling industry legal. This would also increase money for the government. Paetongtarn has strongly supported this idea. She sees it as a way to create new tourist places and make Thailand more competitive globally. She has publicly stated that the project will help the economy without using taxpayer money. This is because the huge amount of money needed (around 100 billion baht per complex) will come from private companies. The government believes these complexes could boost the economy, bring in more tourists, and generate between 12 and 40 billion baht in tax money 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 building several large resort projects. These would include five-star hotels, shopping centers, concert halls, theme parks, and other fun places. The law says that casino areas must be no more than 10 percent of the total space of each complex.
Some community and religious groups have opposed this plan. They worry about possible negative effects on society, like more crime and gambling problems. 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.
Foreign Policy
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In February 2025, Paetongtarn ordered a stop to electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five border areas in Myanmar. This was part of a larger effort with other countries to stop international scams in that region. 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, dishonest investment offers, and illegal gambling. The money 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 relationship with China stronger. This included working together in areas like electric cars, computer chips, and data centers. She met with General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping to talk about many topics and attend the 2025 Asian Winter Games in Harbin. Chinese leader Xi Jinping thanked Paetongtarn Shinawatra for Thailand's strong actions against scam groups that targeted Chinese citizens. 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 Event
After a serious event at the Chong Bok border where a Cambodian soldier was sadly lost, Paetongtarn immediately told the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to calm things down through official talks. At the same time, she strongly stated Thailand's claim to its land. She told the public that her government was constantly talking with the armed forces after the border incident. She stressed that Thailand wants peace but is ready to protect its citizens. 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 private, informal talks. She used the long-standing connection between her family and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. Her goal was to use this personal link to 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 call between Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Hun Sen was shared without permission. Hun Sen later admitted he had recorded the June 15 call and shared it with about 80 Cambodian officials. Later on June 18, Hun Sen posted the entire 17-minute call on Facebook "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 was "a man of the opponents" who "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 didn't publicly react to Hun Sen's strong Facebook posts about the border because she "loves and respects" Hun Sen. Paetongtarn added 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 rivals thought her words made Thailand look weak. They also believed it showed she was not experienced and hurt the military's spirit. After this, several ministers from the Bhumjaithai Party, which was the second-largest party in the government, resigned. This led to their party leaving the government. The event caused protests and calls for her to step down.
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 meant 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 and that she had talked to the general in question to explain. In response, the Bhumjaithai Party said her actions hurt Thailand's reputation. They claimed it made "the country, people, and army to lose dignity." The party leaving the government meant that the Pheu Thai-led government had only a small number of votes in parliament. This put its stability at risk.
On July 1, 2025, the Constitutional Court of Thailand temporarily stopped Paetongtarn from being prime minister. This was part of an investigation into her actions regarding the phone call.
Political Positions
Social Issues
Paetongtarn has modern views on many social topics. She supports LGBT rights and attended the Bangkok Pride Parade in 2023. She also supports changing the country's main rules (the constitution) and ending forced military service. However, she does not support changing Thailand's laws about disrespecting the monarchy. Like her party, Paetongtarn wants tougher measures against crime.
Even though Paetongtarn and her party promised not to form a government with parties linked to the military, like United Thai Nation and Palang Pracharath, the government led by her party did include both of these parties. This led to many people criticizing them.
Economics
In a 2023 interview, Paetongtarn described herself as a "socially liberal capitalist." This means she supports a free market economy but also cares about social fairness. Paetongtarn stated that her party and Srettha Thavisin want to focus on everyday problems people face and improving the economy. She supports "capitalism with empathy" and slowly increasing the minimum wage. She also supports the ฿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 interest rate, which was at its highest in ten years (2.50%). Srettha Thavisin believed this was hurting small businesses and making it hard for the government to boost the economy. Paetongtarn said the Bank of Thailand's money policies "refuse to understand and cooperate" and would make it harder to reduce high levels of debt.
Personal Life
Paetongtarn's nickname is Ung Ing, sometimes shortened to Ing. She is married to Pitaka Suksawat, a Thai businessman. He is the Deputy Chief Investment Officer of Rende Development Co., Ltd., and a board member 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 general election that same month.
In her 2024 asset declaration, she reported owning 217 luxury handbags and 75 luxury watches. Her total net worth was over $400 million US dollars.
Honours
Paetongtarn has received the following royal awards in Thailand:
- 2005 –
Gold Medal (Sixth Class) of the Most Admirable Order Direkgunabhorn
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See also
In Spanish: Paethongtarn Shinawatra para niños
