PM Paetongtarn off on extensive tours to boost nationwide standing
To underscore her claim of being the ‘PM for every province’, the premier kicks off her regional strategy with stops in Northeast and South
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra is reinforcing her commitment to being the “prime minister of all provinces” by launching strategic visits across the country this year.
The tour kicked off on Thursday with a visit to Phuket, where she chaired the launch of the Thailand International Boat Show 2025 at the Phuket Yacht Haven. During her time in Phuket, she also inspected flood-prevention measures at the Bang Nieu Dam Reservoir and discussed initiatives to enhance the province's status as a top tourist destination.
On Sunday, the premier is set to visit Nakhon Phanom province in the Northeast, where she will campaign for Pheu Thai candidate Anuchit Hongsadee in the upcoming Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) election. Paetongtarn’s father, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, is scheduled to take the campaign forward next Saturday (January 18).
Meanwhile, after completing her Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (January 13), the premier will travel to Nakhon Sawan province in the upper Central region. There she will preside over a ceremony to hand out land leases for residential and agricultural purposes under the “Thanarak Eua Rat” (Treasury for the People) project. She is also scheduled to inspect water management operations, including the dredging of water storage areas in Muang district.
Another milestone in her agenda for this year is her first official visit to the three southernmost provinces – Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat. She is scheduled to go there on Thursday (January 16) and oversee various development projects, including the construction of a bridge across the Kolok River.
Next month, Paetongtarn will lead a mobile Cabinet meeting in Songkhla province from February 16-19, underscoring her focus on the South of Thailand. This regional emphasis comes in response to an earlier criticism regarding her alleged neglect of the South, to which she remarked: “I don’t neglect the southerners, don’t forget that I have a southerner husband.”
These visits align with the government's broader strategy to strengthen political support while addressing regional development needs.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra plans to visit various regions across the country to support the Phue Thai party's campaign.
In January, Thaksin is scheduled to visit the northeastern region from January 18-20, 2025, covering the provinces of Nakhon Phanom, Bueng Kan, Nong Khai, and Maha Sarakham.
Following this, on January 24-25, 2025, he will travel to Si Sa Ket Province to back the party's candidates for the local administrative organization, while promoting policies aimed at local development and addressing the issues faced by the community.
