BANGKOK, Thailand – Chulaphan Amornwiwat, MP for Chiang Mai, has been elected the new leader of Thailand’s Pheu Thai Party, with Prasert Chantraruangthong returning as secretary-general, following a special annual meeting to choose the party’s executive team. The vote concluded with 354 out of 369 ballots in favor of Chulaphan, with 15 abstentions.
Upon taking office, Chulaphan vowed to lead the party toward election victory, citing continued support from an estimated 10 million Thai voters. “Politics is never paved with roses,” he said, reflecting on the party’s decades-long journey through coups, prime ministers being removed, and political suppression. “Yet we have endured and continue to fight for the people.”
Chulaphan emphasized that Pheu Thai remains committed to policies that directly benefit the public and promised to revamp party communication, candidate selection, and policy initiatives to meet voters’ evolving expectations. He highlighted the party’s historical achievements dating back to its Thai Rak Thai origins and reiterated that the party’s guiding principle remains “the heart is the people.”
The newly appointed executive board includes deputy leaders, secretaries, treasurers, and registrar officials, with notable figures such as Chusak Sirinil, Sorawong Thienthong, Monporn Charoensri, and others taking key roles. Paethongtarn Shinawatra will continue as head of the Pheu Thai Family to support the party in the upcoming elections.
