Thamanat hands his Agriculture portfolio to unexpected successor
Narumon Pinyosinwat, an academic-turned-politician with a strong background in finance and policy, will take over from caretaker agriculture minister in the new government
In an unexpected turn of events, academic-turned-politician
Narumon Pinyosinwat has been chosen as the successor of caretaker Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow in the new Cabinet line-up.
Thamanat surprised the media when he announced that he had selected Narumon as his successor in the new Cabinet, which was announced in the Royal Gazette on Wednesday.
Born in Bangkok on October 29, 1973, Narumon graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Statistics (Applied Mathematics) from the Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy at Chulalongkorn University, before completing her master’s in the same subject at Georgia State University. She then did another master’s in business administration and a Doctorate in Philosophy (Finance) from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Upon returning to Thailand, she began teaching at the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) and also served as an advisor to the labour minister.
She joined the Palang Pracharath Party to contest in the 2019 general election as a party-list MP and gave up her post to become a government spokesperson under then-PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha.
In August 2020, she was appointed deputy labour minister. However, on September 28 last year, she resigned from the Palang Pracharath Party and was appointed as Thailand’s trade representative on October 3.
Thamanat, who has edged out the faction loyal to PPP leader General Prawit Wongsuwan, has not explained why he chose Narumon as a successor.
