'Big Comrade': Former defence chief takes reins as Thai PM
Former defence chief Phumtham Wechayachai had a previous stint as acting prime minister in 2024.
BANGKOK - Thailand's former defence chief is set to be appointed acting prime minister on July 3, capping a colourful career for the political heavyweight once nicknamed 'Big Comrade'.
Mr Phumtham Wechayachai earned his moniker over links in his youth to a 1970s student movement that rallied against the architect of a military coup, before their protests were violently crushed.
He fled to the jungle where communist guerrillas were plotting uprisings against the nation's military, and recently he has been questioned over his associations.
But the 71-year-old has successfully transitioned into the limelight from a business role in the empire of Mr Thaksin Shinawatra, the founding force of a dynasty which has dominated Thai politics for decades.
Mr Phumtham has held the defence and commerce portfolios, and had a previous spell as acting prime minister after a crisis engulfed the top office last year.
On July 3, he is due to be sworn in as deputy prime minister and interior minister – making him acting premier again, after Mr Thaksin's daughter
Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from her role .
Suburban revolutionary
Born in the suburbs of Bangkok, Mr Phumtham was nicknamed 'Auan', meaning 'Chubby', by his parents.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore No train service across entire Bukit Panjang LRT line due to power fault
Singapore Pedestrian-only path rules to be enforced reasonably; focus on errant cyclists: Baey Yam Keng
Singapore $500 in Child LifeSG Credits, Edusave, Post-Sec Education Account top-ups to be disbursed in July
Singapore 17-year-old youth charged with trespassing on MRT tracks; to be remanded at IMH
Business Microsoft cutting 9,000 jobs companywide in second major wave of layoffs this year
Asia Malaysian nurses following the money abroad for more opportunities
World Trump tax Bill stalled by Republican rebellion in Congress
Opinion How Apple gave 'the gift of fire' to Chinese electronics firms
He earned a political science degree from a top Thai university and joined the student movement that took to the streets in 1976, opposing the return of military dictator Thanom Kittikachorn.
His childhood nickname belied his slim-faced appearance in a black-and-white photo of the protests, showing him brandishing speech papers with a microphone in hand.
The uprising ended in a bloody crackdown known as the 'Thammasat Massacre' that killed at least 40 students and remains today one of the country's most notorious instances of protest bloodshed.
Unofficial estimates suggest the death toll could have been as high as 500, because live ammunition was used to quell the unrest.
Students from Thailand's elite universities fled into the jungle to join guerilla movements.
When Mr Phumtham became defence minister last year, he faced a grilling by the conservative and pro-military establishment who accused him of being a card-carrying communist.
'I went to escape the violence,' he insisted. 'It was not only me, there were other students too.'
Despite his protestations, his links to the movement earned him a second alias: 'Big Comrade'.
Mr Phumtham's reputation has softened since his firebrand formative years, and he is now known as a composed and diplomatic operator.
He will step into the acting prime minister role after the Constitutional Court suspended Ms Paetongtarn pending an ethics probe which could take months.
In the brief interim between the court decision and Mr Phumtham being sworn in as part of a cabinet reshuffle,
transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has been acting premier .
Dynasty lieutenant
Mr Phumtham's rise has mirrored that of Mr Thaksin, whose dynastic parties have been jousting with the country's pro-monarchy, pro-military establishment since the early 2000s.
In the 1990s, Mr Phumtham was employed by the Thaksin-founded telecom giant Shin Corp, before entering politics full-time in 2001.
He served as deputy secretary-general of the Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party, founded by Mr Thaksin, and was appointed deputy transport minister in 2005.
After Mr Thaksin was ousted in a coup, the party was dissolved and Mr Phumtham was slapped with a five-year ban from politics.
But the movement remained a potent force, with Mr Thaksin's sister and brother-in-law both having stints as prime minister.
Ms Paetongtarn was appointed in August, with the backing of the family's Pheu Thai party.
Mr Phumtham, considered Thaksin's confidant, appeared by Ms Paetongtarn's side as she gave her first press conference as leader.
Although he will be stepping into her shoes, he has signalled he remains loyal to the Shinawatra dynasty and told journalists he believes she will 'survive the probe'. AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
38 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Russia, Ukraine announce fresh prisoner swop
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The warring sides have swopped prisoners of war throughout Russia's more than three-year invasion. KYIV - Russia and Ukraine announced a fresh prisoner swop on July 4 as part of agreements reached between them during talks in Istanbul in June. The warring sides have swopped prisoners of war throughout Russia's more than three-year invasion. At recent talks in Istanbul, they agreed to free all heavily wounded, ill and captive troops who are under 25-year-old. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky published photographs of freed Ukrainian troops, wrapped in blue and yellow flags. 'Our people are home. Most of them had been held in Russian captivity since 2022,' he said on social media. Mr Zelensky said they included servicemen from the army, national guard, border service and transport service, adding: 'And also civilians.' He did not say how many Ukrainians had been returned. 'Ukraine's goal is to free all our people from Russian captivity,' Mr Zelensky said. Russia's defence ministry also reported the swop, saying Kyiv handed over a group of its servicemen who were currently in Moscow-allied Belarus. It also did not say how many troops were exchanged. Russia is believed to hold thousands of Ukrainian prisoners, many of whom were captured in the first year of Moscow's offensive when Russian troops advanced deep into the country. Kyiv also holds many Russian captives, although that number is believed to be considerably smaller. AFP
Straits Times
38 minutes ago
- Straits Times
China helped Pakistan with 'live inputs' in conflict with India, Indian Army deputy chief says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: An Indian security personnel stands guard on a street, following clashes between India and Pakistan, in Srinagar, Kashmir May 9, 2025. REUTERS/Sharafat Ali/File Photo NEW DELHI - China gave Islamabad "live inputs" on key Indian positions during Pakistan's deadly conflict with its neighbour in May, the deputy chief of India's army said on Friday, calling for urgent upgrades to the country's air defence systems. The nuclear-armed rivals used missiles, drones and artillery fire during the four-day fighting - their worst in decades - triggered by an April attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, before agreeing to a ceasefire. Pakistan has denied involvement in the April attack. India fought two adversaries during the conflict, with Pakistan being the "front face" while China provided "all possible support", Lieutenant General Rahul Singh said at a defence industry event in New Delhi. "When the DGMO (director general of military operations) level talks were going on, Pakistan ... said that we know that your such and such important vector is primed and it is ready for action ... he was getting live inputs from China," he said. Singh did not elaborate on how India knew about the live inputs from China. The Chinese foreign and defence ministries, and Pakistan army's public relations wing did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. India's relationship with China was strained after a 2020 border clash that sparked a four-year military standoff, but tensions began to ease after the countries reached a pact to step back in October. India had earlier said that although Pakistan is closely allied with China, there was no sign of any actual help from Beijing during the conflict. Regarding the possibility of China providing satellite imagery or other real-time intelligence, India's chief of defence staff had said such imagery was commercially available and could have been procured from China or elsewhere. Pakistani officials have previously dismissed allegations of receiving active support from China in the conflict, but have not commented specifically on whether Beijing gave any satellite and radar help during the fighting. Beijing, which welcomed the ceasefire in May, has helped Pakistan's struggling economy with investments and financial support since 2013. The Chinese foreign minister also vowed support to Pakistan in safeguarding its national sovereignty and territorial integrity when he met his Pakistani counterpart days after the ceasefire. Singh said that Turkey also provided key support to Pakistan during the fighting, equipping it with Bayraktar and "numerous other" drones, and "trained individuals". Ankara has strong ties with Islamabad, and had expressed solidarity with it during the clash, prompting Indians to boycott everything from Turkish coffee to holidays in the country. Turkey's defence ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. REUTERS
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Stabbing suspect in Finland has violent criminal history, say police
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Four people were stabbed near the shopping centre in Tampere, Finland, on July 3. Finnish police said on July 4 that the 23-year-old man suspected of stabbing four people near a shopping centre in Finland had a history of violent crimes. Police were alerted to the stabbing outside a shopping centre in central Tampere at 4.23pm local time on July 3. The victims received first aid at the scene and were now receiving hospital care for 'severe injuries', according to police – though none of the victims had life-threatening injuries. The suspect, a 23-year-old Finnish man, put up no resistance as he was arrested at the scene carrying a knife, police said. He admitted to the stabbings during a preliminary interrogation, saying he had chosen his victims at random and did not know them, according to police. There was 'no reason to suspect that the act was motivated by terrorism or racism', police said. 'When asked why he committed such an act, the perpetrator says that humans are all enemies, that everyone is stalking him,' Detective Chief Inspector Sakari Tuominen told a press conference on July 4. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore $3b money laundering case: 9 financial institutions handed $27.45m in MAS penalties over breaches Singapore Seller's stamp duty hike will curb short-term speculation; market effect likely minimal: Analysts Singapore NTUC says some foreigners taking on platform work illegally, calls for work group to address issue World Trump says countries to start paying tariffs on Aug 1; floats range of 10% to 70% Singapore Sengkang murder: Man accused of killing elderly mother escorted back to crime scene Singapore Tourism bump from Lady Gaga concerts raked in up to estimated $150m for Singapore economy Singapore Jail for man who recruited 2 Japanese women for prostitution at MBS Life Book review: OB Markers sequel Ink And Influence makes catch-22 proposal for The Straits Times 'The motive will be clarified during the preliminary investigation through interviews.' Police said in a statement on July 3 that the incident was being investigated as 'four attempted manslaughters', while noting that the type of offences may change as the investigation progresses. Mr Tuominen added that the 23-year-old had a criminal record, including stabbing a person in 2023 and three counts of aggravated robbery while carrying a knife in 2020. Police have requested the suspect be remanded in custody and a court hearing is scheduled for July 7. According to Mr Tuominen, they had several eyewitnesses to the attack, and the incident was over in about a minute. AFP
