'Big Comrade': Former Defence Chief Takes Reins As Thai PM
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 Thaksin Shinawatra, the founding force of a dynasty which has dominated Thai politics for decades.
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 Thursday he is due to be sworn in as deputy prime minister and interior minister -- making him acting premier again, after Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from her role.
Born in the suburbs of Bangkok, Phumtham was nicknamed "Auan", meaning "Chubby", by his parents.
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 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".
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 Paetongtarn pending an ethics probe which could take months.
In the brief interim between the court decision and Phumtham being sworn in as part of a cabinet reshuffle, transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has been acting premier.
Phumtham's rise has mirrored that of Thaksin, whose dynastic parties have been jousting with the country's pro-monarchy, pro-military establishment since the early 2000s.
In the 1990s 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 Thaksin, and was appointed deputy transport minister in 2005.
After Thaksin was ousted in a coup, the party was dissolved and Phumtham was slapped with a five-year ban from politics.
But the movement remained a potent force, with Thaksin's sister and brother-in-law both having stints as prime minister.
Paetongtarn was appointed in August, with the backing of the family's Pheu Thai party.
Phumtham, considered Thaksin's confidant, appeared by 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". Phumtham Wechayachai takes over as acting prime minister after Paetongtarn Shinawatra (C) was suspended from her role AFP In the 1990s Phumtham Wechayachai was employed by Thaksin-founded telecom giant Shin Corp, before entering politics full-time in 2001 AFP
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Int'l Business Times
6 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
'Big Comrade': Former Defence Chief Takes Reins As Thai PM
Thailand's former defence chief is set to be appointed acting prime minister on Thursday, capping a colourful career for the political heavyweight once nicknamed "Big Comrade". 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 Thaksin Shinawatra, the founding force of a dynasty which has dominated Thai politics for decades. 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 Thursday he is due to be sworn in as deputy prime minister and interior minister -- making him acting premier again, after Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from her role. Born in the suburbs of Bangkok, Phumtham was nicknamed "Auan", meaning "Chubby", by his parents. 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 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". 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 Paetongtarn pending an ethics probe which could take months. In the brief interim between the court decision and Phumtham being sworn in as part of a cabinet reshuffle, transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has been acting premier. Phumtham's rise has mirrored that of Thaksin, whose dynastic parties have been jousting with the country's pro-monarchy, pro-military establishment since the early 2000s. In the 1990s 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 Thaksin, and was appointed deputy transport minister in 2005. After Thaksin was ousted in a coup, the party was dissolved and Phumtham was slapped with a five-year ban from politics. But the movement remained a potent force, with Thaksin's sister and brother-in-law both having stints as prime minister. Paetongtarn was appointed in August, with the backing of the family's Pheu Thai party. Phumtham, considered Thaksin's confidant, appeared by 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". Phumtham Wechayachai takes over as acting prime minister after Paetongtarn Shinawatra (C) was suspended from her role AFP In the 1990s Phumtham Wechayachai was employed by Thaksin-founded telecom giant Shin Corp, before entering politics full-time in 2001 AFP
Int'l Business Times
6 days ago
- Int'l Business Times
Thailand Set For Another Acting PM After Cabinet Reshuffle
Thailand's king is scheduled Thursday to swear in a new cabinet in a reshuffle that will see a third person in a week take on the role as the country's prime minister. The Southeast Asian nation's top office was plunged into turmoil on Tuesday when the Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra pending an ethics probe which could take months. Power passed to transport minister and deputy prime minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit who took office for only one full day, as the bombshell was dropped in an awkward interim ahead of the reshuffle. When former defence minister Phumtham Wechayachai is sworn into his new position as interior minister he will also take on a deputy prime minister role outranking Suriya's -- thus becoming the acting premier. Before Paetongtarn was ousted she assigned herself the role of culture minister in the new cabinet, meaning she is set to keep a perch in the upper echelons of power. The revolving door of leadership comes as the kingdom is battling to revive a spluttering economy and secure a US trade deal averting Donald Trump's looming threat of a 36 percent tariff. Phumtham is considered a loyal lieutenant to the suspended Paetongtarn and her father Thaksin Shinawatra, the powerful patriarch of a dynasty which has dominated Thai 21st-century politics. Thaksin-linked parties have been jousting with the pro-military, pro-conservative establishment since the early 2000s, but analysts say the family's political brand has now entered decline. The 71-year-old Phumtham earned the nickname "Big Comrade" for his association to a left-wing youth movement of the 1970s, but transitioned to politics through a role in Thaksin's telecoms empire. In previous cabinets he held the defence and commerce portfolios, and spent a spell as acting prime minister after a crisis engulfed the top office last year. Paetongtarn has been hobbled over a longstanding territorial dispute between Thailand and Cambodia, which boiled over into cross-border clashes in May, killing one Cambodian soldier. When she made a diplomatic call to Cambodian ex-leader Hun Sen, she called him "uncle" and referred to a Thai military commander as her "opponent", according to a leaked recording causing widespread backlash. A conservative party abandoned her ruling coalition -- sparking the cabinet reshuffle -- accusing her of kowtowing to Cambodia and undermining the military. The Constitutional Court said there was "sufficient cause to suspect" Paetongtarn breached ministerial ethics in the diplomatic spat.
DW
01-07-2025
- DW
Thailand: What now after PM Paetongtarn's suspension? – DW – 07/01/2025
Another embattled member of the powerful Shinawatra family is facing removal from office. Paetongtarn's father Thaksin was ousted in a coup, and her aunt Yingluck faced a similar fate. Is history repeating itself? Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thailand's youngest prime minister, was suspended Tuesday while the Constitutional Court considers a petition for her removal. Her suspension comes after a protest in Bangkok over the weekend called for her ouster following a leaked phone conversation between Paetongtarn and Cambodia's former leader, Hun Sen, over an escalating border dispute. Her perceived deference to Hun Sen ignited public anger in Thailand. Paetongtarn was accused of undermining the country's national interests. For her opponents, Paetongtarn's suspension is "their first victory," according to Puangthong Pawakapan, an associate professor of political science at Thailand's Chulalongkorn University. "Paetongtarn has destroyed the legitimacy of her Pheu Thai party [to run the country], especially after her call with Hun Sen," she told DW. "The parliament will vote for a new prime minister and Pheu Thai could probably hold out a bit longer, but not long, no more than three months," she predicted. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Paetongtarn now has 15 days to present her defence. In the meantime, Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungruangkit will serve as acting leader. Paetongtarn will remain in the Cabinet as culture minister following a reshuffle. "She will most likely be dismissed, given how things have gone previously," Punchada Sirivunnabood, a professor of political science at Thailand's Mahidol University, told DW. If Paetongtarn is eventually removed, the 38-year-old would be the second prime minister from Pheu Thai to be dismissed since August last year. Her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was removed by the Constitutional Court after less than a year in power on charges of ethics violations. The same court also disbanded the progressive Move Forward party, which won the most seats in the 2023 election. Its leaders were banned from politics for 10 years. The top court ruled in favor of the Election Commission's petition that Move Forward had attempted to overthrow the monarchy by pledging to reform the lese majeste law, which shields the Thai royal family from criticism. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The Constitutional Court's suspension of Paetongtarn came on the same day as the start of a trial against her father, Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin is charged with insulting the monarchy over an interview he gave to a South Korean newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, in 2015. The former prime minister, who was ousted in the 2006 coup, was widely seen as the driving force behind Paetongtarn's government. He returned to Thailand in 2023 after 15 years in exile. Thaksin's return was part of a grand reconciliation between Pheu Thai and the conservative establishment — its long-time adversary. Thaksin, the first elected Thai leader to finish a four-year term, rose to power in 2001 on a wave of populist policies. His appeal, albeit waning, has long challenged the military and royalist establishment. Thaksin-backed parties, the main force in Thai politics for the past two decades, have been repeatedly ousted after court rulings and street protests. In 2014, Thaksin's sister, Yingluck, was removed by the Constitution Court for abuse of power just days before her civilian government was ousted in a coup. Yingluck was facing growing protests calling for her resignation. Paetongtarn is now also facing protests. Many in the demonstrations over the weekend are longtime supporters of the conservative, pro-royalist "Yellow Shirt" movement, who opposed Paetongtarn's father and aunt. "The power of Thaksin and the Shinawatra family has weakened. There are ups and downs. It will be extremely difficult for the Shinawatra family to hold onto power," said Punchada. But the Shinawatras are not expected to relinquish power. Analysts predict that Chaikasem Nitisiri, Pheu Thai's third and final prime ministerial candidate in the 2023 election, will be nominated to be the next person to lead Thailand. Puangthong believes the potential appointment of Chaikasem, who served as justice minister in the Yingluck cabinet until his dismissal in the 2014 coup, would not quell the anti-government protests. The establishment's ideal candidate, according to Puangthong, would be someone who is "loyal [to the monarchy] like Prayuth," the army chief behind the coup that toppled Yingluck's government and who remained in power until 2023. Puangthong stressed that Thailand will not progress "without politicians who dare to go against the bureaucracy, the capitalists, and the monopoly. Pheu Thai doesn't have the courage and is incapable of doing so." She added that the main opposition People's Party, which was founded after the dissolution of its predecessors, Move Forward and Future Forward, "seems to be the only party with the most courage, but they couldn't do anything." Despite winning the most seats in the 2023 election, Move Forward's leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, was blocked from taking the top job by the Senate, whose members were hand-picked by the former military junta. "It's been the same for the past 20 years. Thailand is still in the same cycle. There is a coup, then an elected government, then street protests," said Punchada. "I hope that this time around the demonstrations won't bring the military back into politics," she added.
