Srettha Thavisin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Srettha Thavisin
MPCh MVM
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เศรษฐา ทวีสิน
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Srettha in 2023
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| 30th Prime Minister of Thailand | |
| In office 22 August 2023 – 14 August 2024 |
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| Monarch | Vajiralongkorn |
| Deputy |
See list
Phumtham Wechayachai
Somsak Thepsuthin Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara Anutin Charnvirakul Patcharawat Wongsuwon Pirapan Salirathavibhaga Suriya Juangroongruangkit Pichai Chunhavajira |
| Preceded by | Prayut Chan-o-cha |
| Succeeded by | Phumtham Wechayachai (acting) |
| Minister of Finance | |
| In office 1 September 2023 – 27 April 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Himself |
| Preceded by | Arkhom Termpittayapaisith |
| Succeeded by | Pichai Chunhavajira |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 February 1962 Bangkok, Thailand |
| Political party | Pheu Thai (since 2022) |
| Spouse |
Pakpilai Paladraksa
(m. 1989) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education |
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| Occupation |
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| Signature |  |
| Nickname | Nid (นิด) |
Srettha Thavisin (born 15 February 1962) is a Thai businessman and politician. He served as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand from 2023 until August 2024. In 1988, he helped start Sansiri, a company that made him a very successful real estate developer in Thailand.
During his time as Prime Minister, Srettha focused on helping Thailand's economy grow. He especially worked to boost tourism by promoting Thai culture. He also tried to start a digital wallet scheme to give money to citizens. His trips to other countries aimed to bring in new investors. Srettha's time as prime minister ended in August 2024 after a court decision about a cabinet appointment.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Srettha Thavisin was born in Bangkok, Thailand, on 15 February 1962. He is the only child of Captain Amnuay Thavisin and Chodchoi Jutrakul. His family has connections to several important Thai business families.
Srettha went to Prasarnmit Demonstration School in Bangkok. For his higher education, he first earned a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from Chulalongkorn University. He then got a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Later, he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance from Claremont Graduate University.
Business Career
Srettha started his career at Procter & Gamble in 1986, working as an assistant product manager for four years. In 1988, he co-founded Sansiri, which became one of Thailand's top real estate companies. Under his leadership, Sansiri built over 400 housing projects.
Srettha supported large government projects that could help the real estate business. For example, he supported the "Thailand 2020" expo in 2013, which showed plans for big investments. He believed these projects would help the economy.
His leadership helped Sansiri grow, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, he bought a very expensive piece of land in Bangkok. He also bought a share in XSpring Capital Public Company Limited that same year.
Srettha stopped his business career in 2023 to enter politics. Thai laws do not allow elected officials to own shares in companies. So, on 8 March 2023, he transferred all his shares, including his 4.4% share in Sansiri, to his daughter, Chanada Thavisin.
Political Career
Srettha became involved in politics during the 2013–2014 Thai political crisis. He did not agree with the People's Democratic Reform Committee. After the 2014 military coup, he followed the orders to report to the military.
He has strong political ties with former prime ministers Thaksin Shinawatra and Yingluck Shinawatra. In the 2023 Thai general election, Srettha was one of the candidates for prime minister for the Pheu Thai Party.
2023 Election
In November 2022, Srettha announced he would join the Pheu Thai Party. On 5 April 2023, he was named one of the party's three candidates for prime minister. During his campaign, he often said that Pheu Thai would not work with parties involved in the 2014 coup.
After the election on 14 May, Pheu Thai won the second-highest number of seats. They first tried to form a government with the Move Forward Party. However, their candidate, Pita Limjaroenrat, could not get enough votes to become prime minister.
When Move Forward could not form a government, Pheu Thai tried next. They formed a new group of parties, which later included parties Srettha had previously said he would not work with. Srettha explained this was a necessary step to form a government.
On 22 August, Srettha gave a speech to Parliament, explaining his plans as prime minister. He received support from Thaksin Shinawatra. Srettha was then elected as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand. He received 482 votes out of 728 from the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Prime Minister of Thailand (2023–2024)
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Premiership of Srettha Thavisin
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| 22 August 2023 – 14 August 2024 | |
| Vajiralongkorn | |
| Premier | Srettha Thavisin |
| Cabinet | Srettha cabinet |
| Party | Pheu Thai |
| Election | 2023 |
| Appointer | Monarch of Thailand |
| Nominator | National Assembly |
| Seat | Government House |
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← Prayut Chan-o-cha •
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Government Formation
Srettha was elected prime minister on 22 August 2023. His first jobs were to choose his cabinet and present his plans to parliament. The next day, King Vajiralongkorn officially appointed him as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand. Srettha then gave his first speech as prime minister.
On 5 September, Srettha was sworn in as prime minister and minister of finance by the King. His new cabinet had 34 ministers from six different parties. Srettha later stepped down as finance minister in April 2024.
Domestic Affairs
On 8 September, Srettha visited provinces in northeastern Thailand. These areas are known for supporting the Pheu Thai Party. He talked with local people to understand their problems.
In Khon Kaen, he visited the Ubol Ratana Dam, which was facing drought. Srettha told the media that helping farmers was a top goal for his government. He wanted to increase farmers' yields by 50%. In Nong Khai, he discussed shipping between Thailand and China.
Economy
On 11 September, Srettha presented his government's plans to Parliament. The plans focused on improving Thailand's economy. Some people, including opposition parties, felt the plans were not specific enough.
In 2023, Thailand's economy was getting better, but not as fast as hoped. Srettha said the economy was in a "crisis." He believed that high interest rates were hurting businesses and asked the Bank of Thailand to lower them.
However, the Governor of the Bank of Thailand disagreed. He did not think the economy was in a crisis. He also doubted that the government's short-term plans would fix the main economic problems. He felt that bigger, long-term issues were slowing growth.
Srettha wanted the Bank of Thailand to cut interest rates. But the bank's committee decided to keep rates the same. They said that slower economic growth was due to other problems, not just interest rates. Srettha said he could not force the bank to change its decision.
Infrastructure
The government is interested in improving transportation through the Kra Isthmus. This idea, to build a canal or land bridge, dates back to 1677. The current plan is to build a "land bridge." This would include new deep-sea ports in Chumphon and Ranong. These ports would be connected by rail and road networks.
This project is expected to cost about ฿1 trillion. It aims to handle up to 20 million cargo containers each year. The cabinet approved the project on 16 October. Srettha then sought money from American and Chinese investors to help build it.
Local people had concerns about the land bridge project. Srettha admitted that the government had not done a good job of explaining the project to the Thai people.
Tourism
Srettha has worked hard to boost Thailand's tourism. On 25 September, tourists from China and Kazakhstan were allowed to enter Thailand without a visa. This was timed for holidays like Golden Week. Srettha welcomed the first flight from Shanghai after this change. This visa-free policy for Chinese tourists will become permanent on 4 March 2024.
On 17 October, the government also allowed Russian tourists to stay for 90 days instead of 30. This was for the Russian winter season, which is a busy time for tourism in Thailand. Russia is the fifth largest source of tourists to Thailand.
Thailand also allowed Indian and Taiwanese travelers to enter without a visa from November 2023 to May 2024. India is the fourth largest source of tourists for Thailand.
Because of these changes, the number of flights arriving in Thailand reached over 80% of 2019 levels. Srettha has also promised to help Thailand become a major place for concerts.
Strengthening the Thai Passport
Srettha wants to make the Thai passport stronger. This means making it easier for Thai citizens to travel to more countries without a visa. He discussed this with leaders from Belgium and Germany. He asked for support to get visa exemptions for Thai passport holders in the Schengen Area in Europe.
Thailand is also planning to work with Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia. Together, they want to talk with the European Union (EU) to make travel easier for their citizens.
Digital Wallet Scheme
Before the 2023 election, the Pheu Thai party promised a digital wallet plan. This plan would give ฿10,000 to Thai citizens over 16 years old. The money would have to be spent near their homes within six months. This would cost the government ฿560 billion. Srettha continued to support this plan after becoming prime minister.
Some economic experts, including those from the Bank of Thailand, had concerns about this plan. They worried about its long-term effects on Thailand's economy. A former Finance Minister also expressed doubts.
The government set up a committee to work on the plan. Srettha announced that the scheme would start in February 2024, but it was later delayed to May 2024. In November 2023, Srettha said the government would borrow ฿500 billion to pay for the scheme. This was a change from their first idea of using the annual budget.
Electric Vehicle Industry
On 21 September 2023, Srettha talked with Elon Musk about Tesla investing in Thailand's electric vehicle (EV) industry. Srettha wants to attract more EV companies to Thailand. He also said that Proton and Geely, car companies, were thinking about building EV plants in Thailand.
Since Srettha's government began, the EV market in Thailand has grown a lot. Thailand also found two large lithium deposits in Phang Nga. Lithium is important for making EV batteries.
Military
On 30 October 2023, the Minister of Defence announced plans to end the emergency rule in the southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. This rule had been in place since 2005 due to a conflict there.
Thailand had planned to buy a submarine from China. However, there were problems getting engines for it. So, the focus shifted to buying a frigate (a type of warship) instead. The submarine deal is currently on hold. Srettha said he wants the military and civilian leaders to work together for "joint development."
After a Thai navy ship, HTMS Sukhothai, sank in December 2022, the U.S. offered help. The salvage operation for the ship was planned as a joint mission with the U.S. during the Cobra Gold 2024 event. The goal was to find missing sailors and recover important equipment.
Environment
Srettha's government has plans to deal with environmental issues like air pollution and climate change. On 6 October 2023, Srettha spoke about his vision for a sustainable economy. He talked about involving local communities, protecting human rights, and fighting climate change.
He also attended the Sustainability Forum 2024. There, he discussed Thailand's role in global sustainable development. He promised to lower electricity costs and support solar power for homes.
On 29 November 2023, he held a meeting in Chiang Mai about environmental problems like forest fires and smog. In January 2024, he supported the Clean Air bill. He noted that the air quality in Chiang Mai had improved.
However, a court ruled that the Prime Minister and the National Environment Board had not done enough to fix the air pollution problem in the North the previous year. Srettha said he would hold a meeting to follow the court's order.
Education
Thailand's education system has faced challenges. Srettha has promised to improve education. He wants to reduce the number of children who do not have a chance to go to school to zero. He also wants to help young people develop their skills. He believes that investing in education will improve people's lives and their roles as citizens.
Political Positions
Social Issues
Srettha has shown support for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He also criticized how the previous prime minister handled the COVID-19 pandemic. Srettha supported the pro-democracy protests from 2020 to 2021.
Srettha is considered a liberal on social issues. He does not support forced military service. He has also spoken out for environmental protection and LGBTQ rights.
Economics
In an interview in 2023, Srettha explained his economic ideas. He believes in "capitalism with empathy." This means he thinks that businesses can be successful while also caring for people who are struggling. He said that problems like economic differences should be discussed with understanding. With the Pheu Thai party, he promised to boost the economy and fight poverty. He planned to do this by raising the minimum wage and with the ฿10,000 'digital wallet' scheme.
Personal Life
Srettha's nickname is Nid. He is 1.92 metres (6 ft 4 in) tall, which made him one of the tallest leaders in the world when he was in office.
Srettha is married to Pakpilai Thavisin, who is a businesswoman. They have two sons, Napat and Warat, and one daughter, Chananda.
He collects old travel trunks, like those made by Louis Vuitton. Srettha also supports Liverpool F.C., a football team. He helps Sansiri Academy, which trains football players in Thailand. Srettha often uses social media, especially X (formerly Twitter), to share updates.
In December 2023, it was reported that Srettha had a lot of wealth. He owned a 1963 Aston Martin DB5 car.
Honours
Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant (2024)
Knight Grand Cordon of the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand (2024)
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Images for kids
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Srettha Thavisin's signature.
See Also
In Spanish: Srettha Thavisin para niños
