Ladies at the forefront of power

A new chapter in Thai political history is about to begin with Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s appointment of eight female ministers to her cabinet, the highest number ever.

The Srettha Thavisin administration had four, the first Prayut Chan-o-cha government had two, the second Prayut administration had three, while the Yingluck Shinawatra and Abhisit Vejjajiva administrations each had four.

Most of the female ministers in Paetongtarn’s cabinet come from the Pheu Thai Party.

Starting with the PM herself, Paetongtarn Shinawatra is Thailand’s second female PM. Now 38, she is the youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and was elected PM with 319 votes from the House of Representatives on August 16, 2024, making her the third Shinawatra family member to hold the position.

Teerarat Samrejvanich, 45, is the Deputy Interior Minister and a three-time MP from Bangkok. She was the only Pheu Thai MP to win in Bangkok, narrowly defeating Chumphon Lakkam from the Move Forward Party by just four votes in the last election. In Paetongtarn’s government. Teerarat is expected to focus on restoring Pheu Thai's popularity in Bangkok amid the growing influence of the People's Party.

Jiraporn Sindhuprai, a two-time MP from Roi Et for the Pheu Thai Party, has been appointed Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office. The 37-year-old is the daughter of Nisit Sindhuprai, former MP for Roi Et, and Em-on Sindhuprai, a former party-list MP for Pheu Thai. Her younger sister, Chayapha, is also a Pheu Thai MP for Roi Et.

Jiraporn is considered a rising star in the Pheu Thai Party and is particularly known for her eloquent speeches in Parliament, notably her sharp rhetoric in opposition debates with the then governing party of General Prayut.
This is her second time as Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office. She first held the position under Srettha Thavisin. Her mission is expected to involve promoting Thailand's soft power on the global stage to help generate revenue for the country.

Manaporn Charoensri, a 59-year-old Pheu Thai MP from Nakhon Phanom, previously served as Deputy Minister of Transport in Srettha's government, her first ministerial role. She is a former president of the Nakhon Phanom Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) and was elected as MP for Nakhon Phanom. In Paetongtarn's Cabinet, she holds the same Deputy Minister of Transport position.

As an MP, Manaporn is known for her coordinating skills, acting as a whip to liaise with ministers and assist new ministers in answering parliamentary questions. She also supports the Prime Minister in Parliament and helps manage the party’s operations. Manaporn previously chaired the Special Committee on the Draft Budget Act.

Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol , 42, the Minister of Culture, has been reappointed to this role after serving first as Minister of Tourism and Sports and then Culture in Srettha’s government. She is the daughter of Veerasak Wangsuphakijkosol, former Deputy Minister of Transport, and Yolada Wangsuphakijkosol, president of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO). Sudawan is the sister of Arthit Wangsuphakijkosol, MP for Nakhon Ratchasima for Pheu Thai. Sudawan was elected as a Pheu Thai party-list MP in the 2023 general election.

The Bhumjaithai Party has two female ministers.

Supamas Isarabhakdi, 51, is the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research, and Innovation (MHESI). She continues to serve in this position after holding the same role in Srettha’s government. Supamas was a Bangkok MP for the Thai Rak Thai Party for two terms, in 2001 and 2005, during the height of the Thai Rak Thai wave. She joined the Bhumjaithai Party's executive committee in 2012 .

Zabeda Thaiseth, 40, is the Deputy Minister of Interior. This is her first ministerial position, taking over from her father, Chada Thaiseth, an MP from Uthai Thani, who stepped aside from the role and passed it on to his middle daughter. Zabeda, has an elder sister, Panatcha, who is the mayor of Uthai Thani City, and is the niece of Mananya Thaiseth, the former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives. She previously worked on the team of the Deputy Minister of Interior before taking on her current ministerial role.

Narumon Pinyosinwat is the Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, replacing Thamanat Prompow, who broke away from the “Prawit wing” of the Palang Pracharath Party. Due to concerns over ethical qualifications, he decided to appoint three external ministers, including Narumon.

Narumon previously served as Deputy Minister of Labour in Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha's government and was a trade representative in Srettha’s government. A former lecturer at the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) and an advisor on financial risk management, she served as Assistant Finance Minister under Apisak Tantivorawong.

She was also an MP for the Palang Pracharath Party in 2019 before resigning from the party to become the leader of the Kla Tham Party, which was established to support Thamanat's group as they prepared to split from the Palang Pracharath Party.