Thaksin Shinawatra

Thaksin Shinawatra
ทักษิณ ชินวัตร
Thaksin in 2005
23rd Prime Minister of Thailand
In office 9 February 2001 – 19 September 2006[a]
Monarch	Bhumibol Adulyadej
Preceded by	Chuan Leekpai
Succeeded by	Sonthi Boonyaratglin (as Head of the Council for Democratic Reform)
Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
In office 13 July 1995 – 8 November 1997
Prime Minister	Banharn Silpa-archa Chavalit Yongchaiyudh
Minister of Education
In office 14 June 2001 – 9 October 2001
Prime Minister	Himself
Preceded by	Kasem Watanachai
Succeeded by	Suwit Khunkitti
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 25 October 1994 – 10 February 1995
Prime Minister	Chuan Leekpai
Preceded by	Prasong Soonsiri
Succeeded by	Krasae Chanawongse
Leader of Thai Rak Thai Party
In office 14 July 1998 – 2 October 2006
Preceded by	Party established
Succeeded by	Chaturon Chaisang
Leader of Palang Dharma Party
In office 13 July 1995 – 17 November 1996
Preceded by	Boonchu Rojanastien
Succeeded by	Chamlong Srimuang
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 6 February 2005 – 8 April 2005
Constituency	Party-list
In office 6 January 2001 – 11 March 2001
Constituency	Party-list
In office 2 July 1995 – 27 September 1996
Constituency	Bangkok 2nd
Member-elect of the House of Representatives[note 1]
In role 2 April 2006 – 8 May 2006
Constituency	Party-list
Special Economic Adviser of Cambodia
In office 4 November 2009 – 23 August 2010
Prime Minister	Hun Sen
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Personal details
Born	(1949-07-26) 26 July 1949 (age 75) San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Nationality	Thai Montenegrin[1] (2009–present)
Political party	Pheu Thai (de facto; 2008–present)[2]
Other political affiliations	Thai Rak Thai (1998–2006)[3] Palang Dharma (1994–1998)
Spouse	Potjaman Damapong ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 2008)​ [4]
Children	Panthongtae Pinthongtha Paetongtarn
Relatives	Yingluck Shinawatra (sister) Pitaka Suksawat (son-in-law) Somchai Wongsawat (brother-in-law)
Residence	Bangkok
Alma mater	Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School Royal Police Cadet Academy Eastern Kentucky University Sam Houston State University (Ph.D.)
Occupation	Businessperson Police officer (1973–1987) Politician Visiting professor[5]
Net worth	US$2 billion (July 2022)[6]
Signature
Police career
Department	Royal Thai Police
Branch	Metropolitan Police Bureau
Service years	1973–1987
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel (revoked in 2015)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	丘達新
Simplified Chinese	丘达新
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Qiū Dáxīn Bopomofo ㄑㄧㄡˉ ㄉㄚˊ ㄒㄧㄣˉ Gwoyeu Romatzyh Chiou Darshin Wade–Giles Ch'iu1 Ta2-hsin1 Wu Shanghainese Romanization Chieu Daq-xin Hakka Pha̍k-fa-sṳ Hiû Tha̍t-sîn Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Yāu Daaht-sān Jyutping Jau1 Daat6-san1 Canton Romanization Yeo1 Dad6-sen1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Khu Ta̍t-sin Teochew Peng'im Ku1 Dag8-sing1

Thaksin Shinawatra^[b] (born 26 July 1949) is a Thai politician and businessman who served as the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006.

Thaksin founded the mobile phone operator Advanced Info Service and the IT and telecommunications conglomerate Shin Corporation in 1987, ultimately making him one of the richest people in Thailand. He founded the Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) in 1998 and, after a landslide electoral victory, became prime minister in 2001. He was the first democratically elected prime minister of Thailand to serve a full term and was re-elected in 2005 by an overwhelming majority.^[7]

Thaksin declared a "war on drugs" in which more than 2,500 people were killed. Thaksin's government launched programs to reduce poverty, expand infrastructure, promote small and medium-sized enterprises, and extend universal healthcare coverage. Thaksin took a strong-arm approach against the separatist insurgency in the Muslim southern provinces.^[7]

His decision to sell shares in his corporation for more than a billion tax-free US dollars generated controversy. A protest movement against Thaksin, called People's Alliance for Democracy or "Yellow Shirts", launched mass demonstrations, accusing him of corruption, abuse of power, and autocratic tendencies. In 2006 Thaksin called snap elections that were boycotted by the opposition and invalidated by the Constitutional Court.

Thaksin was deposed in a military coup on 19 September 2006. His party was outlawed and he was barred from political activity.^[8] Thaksin lived in self-imposed exile for 15 years—except for a brief visit to Thailand in 2008—before returning to Thailand in August 2023. During his exile he was sentenced in absentia to two years in jail for abuse of power,^[9] and stripped of his Police Rank of Police Lieutenant Colonel.^[10]

From abroad, he continued to influence Thai politics through the People's Power Party that ruled in 2008 and its successor organisation Pheu Thai Party, as well as the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship or "Red Shirt" movement. His younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra was prime minister from 2011 to 2014, and his youngest daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been the prime minister since 2024.

Later in exile, Thaksin registered a Clubhouse account under the name "Tony Woodsome", which became his moniker, and frequently held activities on the platform.^[11][12] He also made several announcements expressing his desire to return to Thailand on various social media platforms.^{[citation needed]} Ultimately, Thaksin returned to Thailand on 22 August 2023, and was promptly taken into custody.^[13]

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