'Big Comrade': Former Defence Chief Takes Reins As Thai PM
Phumtham Wechayachai earned his moniker over links in his youth to a 1970s student movement that rallied against the architect of a military coup, before their protests were violently crushed.
He fled to the jungle where communist guerrillas were plotting uprisings against the nation's military, and recently he has been questioned over his associations.
But the 71-year-old has successfully transitioned into the limelight from a business role in the empire of Thaksin Shinawatra, the founding force of a dynasty which has dominated Thai politics for decades.
Phumtham has held the defence and commerce portfolios, and had a previous spell as acting prime minister after a crisis engulfed the top office last year.
On Thursday he is due to be sworn in as deputy prime minister and interior minister -- making him acting premier again, after Thaksin's daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended from her role.
Born in the suburbs of Bangkok, Phumtham was nicknamed "Auan", meaning "Chubby", by his parents.
He earned a political science degree from a top Thai university and joined the student movement that took to the streets in 1976, opposing the return of military dictator Thanom Kittikachorn.
His childhood nickname belied his slim-faced appearance in a black-and-white photo of the protests, showing him brandishing speech papers with a microphone in hand.
The uprising ended in a bloody crackdown known as the "Thammasat Massacre" that killed at least 40 students and remains today one of the country's most notorious instances of protest bloodshed.
Unofficial estimates suggest the death toll could have been as high as 500, because live ammunition was used to quell the unrest.
Students from Thailand's elite universities fled into the jungle to join guerilla movements.
When Phumtham became defence minister last year he faced a grilling by the conservative and pro-military establishment who accused him of being a card-carrying communist.
"I went to escape the violence," he insisted. "It was not only me, there were other students too."
Despite his protestations, his links to the movement earned him a second alias: "Big Comrade".
Phumtham's reputation has softened since his firebrand formative years, and he is now known as a composed and diplomatic operator.
He will step into the acting prime minister role after the Constitutional Court suspended Paetongtarn pending an ethics probe which could take months.
In the brief interim between the court decision and Phumtham being sworn in as part of a cabinet reshuffle, transport minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit has been acting premier.
Phumtham's rise has mirrored that of Thaksin, whose dynastic parties have been jousting with the country's pro-monarchy, pro-military establishment since the early 2000s.
In the 1990s Phumtham was employed by the Thaksin-founded telecom giant Shin Corp, before entering politics full-time in 2001.
He served as deputy secretary-general of the Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party, founded by Thaksin, and was appointed deputy transport minister in 2005.
After Thaksin was ousted in a coup, the party was dissolved and Phumtham was slapped with a five-year ban from politics.
But the movement remained a potent force, with Thaksin's sister and brother-in-law both having stints as prime minister.
Paetongtarn was appointed in August, with the backing of the family's Pheu Thai party.
Phumtham, considered Thaksin's confidant, appeared by Paetongtarn's side as she gave her first press conference as leader.
Although he will be stepping into her shoes, he has signalled he remains loyal to the Shinawatra dynasty and told journalists he believes she will "survive the probe". Phumtham Wechayachai takes over as acting prime minister after Paetongtarn Shinawatra (C) was suspended from her role AFP In the 1990s Phumtham Wechayachai was employed by Thaksin-founded telecom giant Shin Corp, before entering politics full-time in 2001 AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Business Times
7 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Thailand And Cambodia Truce Talks Due But Strikes Continue
Thailand and Cambodia's leaders are due to meet for peace talks on Monday, as a festering territorial dispute along their shared frontier dragged into a fifth day of open combat. At least 35 people have been killed and more than 200,000 displaced since Thursday as the countries fight over a smattering of contested ancient temples. In an effort initiated by US President Donald Trump, Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet will meet at 3:00 pm (0700 GMT) in Kuala Lumpur. China is also expected to send a delegation. Ahead of the talks, Thailand and Cambodia traded fresh fire and accusations. "This is the fifth day that Thailand has invaded Cambodia's territory with heavy weapons and with the deployment of a lot of troops to grab Cambodia's land," said defence ministry spokeswoman Maly Socheata. The previous night, Thailand's military said Cambodian snipers were camping in one of the contested temples, and accused Phnom Penh of surging troops along the border and hammering Thai territory with rockets. It said fighting was ongoing at seven areas along the rural border region, marked by a ridge of hills surrounded by wild jungle and agricultural land where locals farm rubber and rice. "The situation remains highly tense, and it is anticipated that Cambodia may be preparing for a major military operation prior to entering negotiations," the Thai military statement read. On Saturday, Trump said he made a late-night call to both leaders, who had agreed to "quickly work out" a truce. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet said the summit -- which will be mediated by Malaysian leader Anwar Ibrahim -- was also organised "with the participation of China" -- a key trade and political ally. "The purpose of this meeting is to achieve an immediate ceasefire, which was initiated by President Donald Trump and agreed to by both prime ministers of Cambodia and Thailand," Hun Manet said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that US officials "are on the ground in Malaysia to assist these peace efforts", while Anwar told domestic media he would focus on securing an "immediate ceasefire". Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn marked his 73rd birthday on Monday, but a notice in the country's Royal Gazette said his public celebrations scheduled for Bangkok's Grand Palace have been cancelled amid the strife. Both Thailand and Cambodia have agreed in principle to a truce -- but accused each other of undermining armistice efforts and of firing first. Trump has threatened both countries with eye-watering levies in his global tariff blitz unless they agree to independent trade deals. "When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!" he wrote on social media. But each side has also blamed the other for undermining peace efforts. The Thai foreign ministry accused Cambodian forces of firing shells into civilian homes in Surin province. "Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached while Cambodia is severely lacking in good faith," the ministry said. Meanwhile, Cambodia's defence ministry accused Thailand of "deliberate and coordinated acts of aggression". Thailand says eight of its soldiers and 14 civilians have been killed, while Cambodia has confirmed eight civilian and five military deaths. The Thai military said it had returned the bodies of 12 Cambodian soldiers killed in combat. The conflict has forced more than 138,000 people from Thailand's border regions, and 80,000 have been driven from their homes in Cambodia. The Cambodian government has also accused Thai forces of using cluster munitions, while Bangkok has accused Phnom Penh of targeting hospitals. With the conflict enflaming nationalist sentiments, Thailand issued a warning to its citizens to "refrain from any kind of violence, whether in speech or action" against Cambodian migrants living in the country. Thailand and and Cambodia have exchanged five days of fire in a deadly territorial dispute AFP Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Manet (C) will meet Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai to discuss a ceasefire AFP Each side has blamed the other for undermining peace efforts AFP At least 35 people have been killed and more than 200,000 displaced AFP
DW
14 hours ago
- DW
Thailand and Cambodia to hold peace talks – DW – 07/27/2025
Malaysian Premier Anwar Ibrahim will host peace talks between Thailand and Cambodia in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, even as border clashes continued on Sunday with both sides blaming each other. The leaders of Thailand and Cambodia will meet in Malaysia on Monday in an attempt to negotiate an end to four days of deadly border clashes, officials confirmed on Sunday. The talks between acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Kuala Lumpur will be mediated by Malaysian premier Anwar Ibrahim in his capacity as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). "They have asked me to try and negotiate a peace settlement," said Anwar on Sunday. "I'm discussing the parameters, the conditions, but what is important is [an] immediate ceasefire." A Thai government spokesman confirmed Phumtham's participation in the talks in order "to discuss peace efforts in the region." Cambodia's Hun Manet said earlier Sunday that his country had agreed to pursue an "immediate and unconditional ceasefire." At least 34 people have been killed and around 200,000 displaced in fighting between the two South-East Asian neighbors over contested border temples this week, with artillery exchanges continuing on Sunday. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video US President Donald Trump claimed credit for the planned peace talks, saying on Sunday ahead of a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Turnbery, Scotland: "I spoke to both of the prime ministers and I think, by the time I got off, I think they want to settle now." Previously, Trump had threatened to impose tariffs on the two countries if they failed to stop fighting and agree to trade deals. "After speaking to both Parties, Ceasefire, Peace, and Prosperity seems to be a natural," he wrote on social media on Saturday after speaking to both heads of government. "We … do not want to make any Deal, with either Country, if they are fighting. I am trying to simplify a complex situation!" The two sides continued to exchange artillery fire on Sunday, with a Cambodian defense ministry spokeswoman saying Thai forces began attacking areas around the village of Samraong at 4.50 a.m. local time, followed by a "large-scale incursion" involving tanks and ground troops in several areas. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "Such actions undermine all efforts toward peaceful resolution and expose Thailand's clear intent to escalate rather than de-escalate the conflict," she said. But a Thai army spokesman said Cambodian forces began firing artillery around 4.00 a.m. and accused them of firing shells into civilian homes in Thailand's eastern Surin province. "Any cessation of hostilities cannot be reached while Cambodia is severely lacking in good faith and repeatedly violating the basic principles of human rights and humanitarian law," Thailand's Foreign Ministry said, confirming the death of a Thai soldier. "We rushed to leave the house this morning," one 61-year-old Thai border resident told the AFP news agency as she waited to board an evacuation truck. "All of my neighbors have already left and we didn't feel safe to stay any longer." With the conflict enflaming nationalist sentiments, the Thai government also issued a warning to its own citizens to "refrain from any kind of violence, whether in speech or action" against Cambodians living in the country.
Int'l Business Times
18 hours ago
- Int'l Business Times
Thais And Cambodians Refuse To Quit Homes On Clash Frontier
Under the drumbeat of artillery fire near Thailand's border with Cambodia, farmer Samuan Niratpai refuses to abandon his buffalo herd -- stubbornly risking his life to tend his livestock. "At 5:00am every day, I hear the loud bangs and booms. Then I run into the woods for cover," the 53-year-old told AFP in the village of Baan Bu An Nong in Surin province, just 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the fraught frontier. His family of five fled to the capital Bangkok on the first day of clashes on Thursday, but he remains behind with their flock of chickens, three dogs and 14 prized buffalo. "How could I leave these buffaloes?" he asked, his eyes brimming with emotion. "I'd be so worried about them. After the strikes I go and console them, telling them 'It's okay. We're together'." Thailand and Cambodia's clashes have entered their fourth day after a festering dispute over sacred temples ignited into cross-border combat being waged with jets, tanks and group troops. Peace talks between leaders are scheduled for Monday in Malaysia, the Thai government has said. In the meantime, at least 34 people have been killed on both sides, mostly civilians, and more than 200,000 have fled their homes along the 800-kilometre border -- a rural area patched with rubber and rice farms. But on both sides of the tree-clad ridge marking the boundary between the two countries there are many who refuse to evacuate. As nearby blasts shake Cambodian restauranteur Soeung Chhivling's eaterie she continues to prepare a beef dish, declining to abandon the kitchen where she cooks for troops and medics mobilised to fight Thailand. "I am also scared, but I want to cook so they have something to eat," said the 48-year-old, near a hospital where wounded civilians and troops are being treated. "I have no plan to evacuate unless jets drop a lot of bombs," she told AFP in Samraong city, just 20 kilometres from the Thai frontier, where most homes and shops are already deserted. Back on the Thai side, Pranee Ra-ngabpai, a researcher on Thai-Cambodian border issues and a local resident, said many who have chosen to stay behind -- like her own father -- are men who hold traditional and stoic values. "He is still there in the house right now and refuses to leave," Pranee said. "There's this mindset: 'If I die, I'd rather die at home' or 'I can't leave my cows'." Baan Bu An Nong has been designated a "red zone" -- meaning it is high risk for air strikes, artillery barrages and even gun battles between ground troops. But village co-leader Keng Pitonam, 55, is also reluctant to depart. Loading grass onto his three-wheeled cart to feed his livestock, he is now responsible for dozens of neighbours' animals as well as their homes. "I have to stay -- it's my duty," Keng told AFP. "I'm not afraid. I can't abandon my responsibilities," he said. "If someone like me -- a leader -- leaves the village, what would that say? I have to be here to serve the community, no matter what happens." His local temple has become a makeshift donation and rescue hub, parked with ambulances inside its perimeter. "I have to stay -- to be a spiritual anchor for those who remain," said the abbot, declining to give his name. "Whatever happens, happens." Huddled in a bunker just 10 kilometres from the border, Sutian Phiewchan spoke to AFP by phone, pausing as his words were interrupted by the crackle of gunfire. He remained behind to fulfil his obligations as a volunteer for the local civil defence force, activated to protect the roughly 40 people still staying there. "Everyone here is afraid and losing sleep," the 49-year-old said. "We're doing this without pay. But it's about protecting the lives and property of the people in our village." Farmer Samuan Niratpai refuses to evacuate from his village despite clashes on the Thai-Cambodia border AFP Keng Pitonam is now responsible for dozens of neighbours' animals as well as their homes AFP Samuan Niratpai's village has been designated a "red zone" for artillery strikes AFP Soeung Chhivling prepares food for customers at her restaurant in Samraong, around 20 kilometres from the border conflict zone AFP
