List of Prime Ministers of Thailand

The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of the Kingdom of Thailand. The prime minister is also the chairman of the cabinet of Thailand and represents the government at home and the country abroad.

The post of prime minister has existed since 1932, after a bloodless revolution forced the absolutist King Prajadhipok to grant for the people of Siam their first constitution. Under the newly established constitutional monarchy, the first prime minister of Siam was Phraya Manopakorn Nititada. At first, the office was called the President of the People's Committee, it was later changed to Prime Minister of Siam when the king deemed it too communistic.

Constitutionally the prime minister is required to be a member of the lower house of parliament or the House of Representatives. He must also gain their approval through a resolution before an official appointment by the king can take place. As a result, the prime minister might succumb to a vote of no confidence and removal in the House. However, this has never happened up to date.

Throughout the post's existence it has mostly been occupied by military leaders from the Royal Thai Army, three holding the rank of field marshal and seven the rank of general. The post of prime minister is currently held by General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who was formally appointed to the office on 24 August 2014. Previously he was the de facto head of government as leader of the National Council for Peace and Order, since the coup d'état on 22 May 2014.

Note: The list includes leaders of military juntas and acting prime ministers. However, they are not counted in the official list as provided by the Royal Thai Government

Key

Political parties

•   Khana Ratsadon
•   Free Thai Movement
•   Constitutional Front
•   Democrat Party
•   Social Action Party
•   Seri Manangkhasila Party → National Socialist Party → United Thai Party → Chart Thai Party → Chartthaipattana Party
•   New Aspiration Party
•   Thai Rak Thai Party → People's Power Party → Pheu Thai Party

Other factions

•   Military
•   Independent

Prime Ministers of the Kingdom of Thailand (1932–present)

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Government	Legislature	Monarch (Reign)
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
		Phraya Manopakorn Nititada (1884–1948)	28 June 1932	10 December 1932	358 days	Independent	Manopakorn I	Temporary (1932)	King Prajadhipok (1925–1935)
			10 December 1932	1 April 1933			Manopakorn II
			1 April 1933	20 June 1933			Manopakorn III
		Phraya Phahonphonphayuhasena (1887–1947)	21 June 1933	16 December 1933	1 year, 93 days	Khana Ratsadon (Military faction)	Phahonyothin I
			16 December 1933	22 September 1934			Phahonyothin II	II (1933)
			22 September 1934	9 August 1937	4 years, 85 days	Khana Ratsadon (Military faction)	Phahonyothin III		King Ananda Mahidol (1935–1946)
			9 August 1937	21 December 1937			Phahonyothin IV
			21 December 1937	16 December 1938			Phahonyothin V
		Plaek Phibunsongkhram (1897–1964)	16 December 1938	7 March 1942	5 years, 229 days	Khana Ratsadon (Military faction)	Plaek I	III (1938)
			7 March 1942	1 August 1944			Plaek II
		Khuang Aphaiwong (1902–1968)	1 August 1944	31 August 1945	1 year, 30 days	Independent	Khuang I
		Tawee Boonyaket (1904–1971)	31 August 1945	17 September 1945	17 days	Free Thai	Tawee I
		Seni Pramoj (1905–1997)	17 September 1945	31 January 1946	136 days	Free Thai	Seni I
		Khuang Aphaiwong (1902–1968)	31 January 1946	24 March 1946	52 days	Independent	Khuang II	IV (1946)
		Pridi Banomyong (1900–1983)	24 March 1946	11 June 1946	152 days	Free Thai	Pridi I
			11 June 1946	23 August 1946			Pridi II		King Bhumibol Adulyadej (1946–2016)
		Thawan Thamrongnawasawat (1901–1988)	23 August 1946	30 May 1947	1 year, 79 days	Constitutional Front	Thawan I
			30 May 1947	8 November 1947			Thawan II
		Phin Choonhavan (1891–1973)	8 November 1947	10 November 1947	2 days	Military	Coup Group
		Khuang Aphaiwong (1902–1968)	10 November 1947	21 February 1948	150 days	Democrat	Khuang III	——
			21 February 1948	8 April 1948			Khuang IV	V (1948)
		Plaek Phibunsongkhram (1897–1964)	8 April 1948	25 June 1949	9 years, 161 days	Khana Ratsadon (Military faction)	Plaek III	VI (1949)
			25 June 1949	29 November 1951			Plaek IV
			29 November 1951	6 December 1951			Plaek V	——
			6 December 1951	24 March 1952			Plaek VI
			24 March 1952	21 March 1957			Plaek VII	VII (1952)
			21 March 1957	16 September 1957		Seri Manangkhasila	Plaek VIII	VIII (1957)
		Sarit Thanarat (1908–1963)	16 September 1957	21 September 1957	5 days	Military	Coup Group
		Pote Sarasin (1905–2000)	21 September 1957	1 January 1958	102 days	Independent	Pote	——
		Thanom Kittikachorn (1911–2004)	1 January 1958	20 October 1958	292 days	National Socialist[1]	Thanom I	IX (1957)
		Sarit Thanarat (1908–1963)	20 October 1958	9 February 1959	112 days	Military	Revolutionary Council
			9 February 1959	8 December 1963	4 years, 303 days	Military	Sarit I	Constituent Assembly (1959)
		Thanom Kittikachorn (1911–2004)	9 December 1963	7 March 1969	7 years, 344 days	Military	Thanom II
			7 March 1969	17 November 1971		United Thai People	Thanom III	X (1969)
			18 November 1971	17 December 1972	1 year, 29 days	Military	National Executive Council
			18 December 1972	14 October 1973	301 days		Thanom IV	National Assembly I (1972)
		Sanya Dharmasakti (1907–2002)	14 October 1973	22 May 1974	1 year, 124 days	Independent	Sanya I	National Assembly II (1973)
			27 May 1974	15 February 1975			Sanya II
		Seni Pramoj (1905–1997)	15 February 1975	14 March 1975	27 days	Democrat	Seni II	XI (1975)
		Kukrit Pramoj (1911–1995)	14 March 1975	20 April 1976	1 year, 37 days	Social Action	Kukrit
		Seni Pramoj (1905–1997)	20 April 1976	25 September 1976	1 year, 124 days	Democrat	Seni III	XII (1976)
			25 September 1976	6 October 1976			Seni IV
		Sangad Chaloryu (1915–1980)	6 October 1976	8 October 1976	2 days	Military	Administration Reform Council
		Thanin Kraivichien (1927–)	8 October 1976	20 October 1977	1 year, 34 days	Independent	Thanin	——
		Sangad Chaloryu (1915–1980)	20 October 1977	10 November 1977	21 days	Military	Administration Reform Council
		Kriangsak Chamanan (1917–2003)	11 November 1977	12 May 1979	2 years, 113 days	Military	Kriangsak I	National Assembly III (1977)
			12 May 1979	3 March 1980			Kriangsak II	XIII (1976)
		Prem Tinsulanonda (1920–)	3 March 1980	30 April 1983	8 years, 154 days	Military	Prem I
			30 April 1983	5 August 1986			Prem II	XIV (1983)
			5 August 1986	4 August 1988			Prem III	XV (1986)
		Chatichai Choonhavan (1922–1998)	4 August 1988	9 December 1990	2 years, 204 days	Chart Thai	Chatchai I	XVI (1988)
			9 December 1990	23 February 1991			Chatchai II
		Sunthorn Kongsompong (1931–1999)	24 February 1991	2 March 1991	6 days	Military	National Peace Keeping Council
		Anand Panyarachun (1932–)	2 March 1991	7 April 1992	1 year, 36 days	Independent	Anand I	National Assembly IV (1991)
		Suchinda Kraprayoon (1933–)	7 April 1992	10 June 1992	47 days	Independent	Suchinda	XVII (1992)
		Meechai Ruchuphan (1938–) Acting Prime Minister	24 May 1992	10 June 1992	17 days	Independent
		Anand Panyarachun (1932–)	10 June 1992	23 September 1992	105 days	Independent	Anand II	——
		Chuan Leekpai (1938–)	23 September 1992	13 July 1995	2 years, 293 days	Democrat	Chuan I	XVIII (1992)
		Banharn Silpa-archa (1932–2016)	13 July 1995	25 November 1996	1 year, 135 days	Chart Thai	Banharn	XIX (1995)
		Chavalit Yongchaiyudh (1932–)	25 November 1996	9 November 1997	349 days	New Aspiration	Chavalit	XX (1996)
		Chuan Leekpai (1938–)	9 November 1997	9 February 2001	3 years, 92 days	Democrat	Chuan II
		Thaksin Shinawatra (1949–)	9 February 2001	9 March 2005	5 years, 55 days	Thai Rak Thai	Thaksin I	XXI (2001)
			9 March 2005	5 April 2006			Thaksin II	XXII (2005)
		Chitchai Wannasathit (1949–) Acting Prime Minister	5 April 2006	23 May 2006	48 days	Thai Rak Thai		——
		Thaksin Shinawatra (1949–) Caretaker Prime Minister	23 May 2006	19 September 2006	119 days	Thai Rak Thai
		Sonthi Boonyaratglin (1946–)	19 September 2006	1 October 2006	12 days	Military	Council for National Security
		Surayud Chulanont (1943–)	1 October 2006	29 January 2008	1 year, 120 days	Independent	Surayud	National Assembly V (2006)
		Samak Sundaravej (1935–2009)	29 January 2008	8 September 2008	224 days	People's Power	Samak	XXIII (2007)
		Somchai Wongsawat (1947–)	8 September 2008	18 September 2008	9 days	People's Power
			18 September 2008	2 December 2008	84 days	People's Power	Somchai
		Chaovarat Chanweerakul (1936–) Acting Prime Minister	2 December 2008	15 December 2008	15 days	Independent
		Abhisit Vejjajiva (1964–)	17 December 2008	5 August 2011	2 years, 231 days	Democrat	Abhisit
		Yingluck Shinawatra (1967–)	5 August 2011	7 May 2014	2 years, 275 days	Pheu Thai	Yingluck	XXIV (2011)
		Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan (1948–) Acting Prime Minister	7 May 2014	22 May 2014	15 days	Pheu Thai		——
		Prayut Chan-o-cha (1954–)	22 May 2014	24 August 2014	94 days	Military	National Council for Peace and Order
			24 August 2014[2]	Incumbent	2 years, 105 days	Independent	Prayut	National Assembly VI (2014)	King Vajiralongkorn (2016–)

Timeline

Living former Prime Ministers

Name	Term of office	Date of birth	Political party
Thanin Kraivichien	1976–1977	5 April 1927	non-partisan
Prem Tinsulanonda	1980–1988	26 August 1920	Military
Anand Panyarachun	1991–1992, 1992	9 August 1932	non-partisan
Suchinda Kraprayoon	1992	6 August 1933	Military
Chuan Leekpai	1992–1995; 1997–2001	28 July 1938	Democrat Party
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh	1996–1997	15 May 1932	New Aspiration Party
Thaksin Shinawatra	2001–2006	26 July 1949	Thai Rak Thai
Surayud Chulanont	2006–2008	28 August 1943	non-partisan (Military)
Somchai Wongsawat	2008	31 August 1947	People's Power Party
Abhisit Vejjajiva	2008–2011	3 August 1964	Democrat Party
Yingluck Shinawatra	2011–2014	21 June 1967	Pheu Thai Party

See also

• Prime Minister of Thailand
• Constitution of Thailand
• Government of Thailand
• Office of the Prime Minister (Thailand)
• Cabinet of Thailand

References

Citations

1. Thak Chaloemtiarana (2007), Thailand: The Politics of Despotic Paternalism, Ithaca NY: Cornell Southeast Asia Program, p. 88, ISBN 978-0-8772-7742-2
2. ประกาศแต่งตั้งนายกรัฐมนตรี ลงวันที่ 24 สิงหาคม 2557 [Proclamation on Appointment of Prime Minister dated 24 August 2014] (pdf). Royal Thai Government Gazette (in Thai). Bangkok: Cabinet Secretariat. 131, Special Part 159 D: 1. 25 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.

Links

• Cabinet of Thailand (2010). "History of Thai Prime Ministers". www.soc.go.th. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
• World Statesmen.org (2010). "Thailand". www.worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 20 May 2012.

External links

• LIST OF THAI PRIME MINISTERS with names also in Thai