A look at the background of "Phumtham Wetchachai" Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, a key figure orchestrating the formation of the "Srettha 1" government. Even he admitted, "It was the most difficult government formation in my life." He holds the position of first Deputy Prime Minister, acting on behalf of the actual Prime Minister "Srettha" when absent.
Phumtham Wetchachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, was born on 5 Dec 1953. Nicknamed "Ouan," in 2001 he served as secretary to the Minister of Interior and advisor to the Prime Minister (to Associate Professor Dr. Somkid Jatusripitak). He is known as an October Generation activist.
He took on the role of government manager, a key figure negotiating the formation of the Srettha 1 government. As a true voice of the Pheu Thai Party, he even told the media that it was the hardest government formation of his life. He once fled to the jungle during the October 1976 events and is considered a close associate of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
On 22 Aug, Phumtham was seen at Don Mueang Airport welcoming Thaksin Shinawatra upon his return to Thailand.
Originally named Thawatchai, he was a parliamentary official in the political division, serving as advisor to the opposition leader in the House of Representatives (Mr. Sompong Amornwiwat). He is a former secretary-general of the Pheu Thai Party, a member of the Political Party Development Committee for Constitutional Reform under Election Commission Order 14/2017, a former Deputy Minister of Transport in Dr. Thaksin Shinawatra's government, and former deputy secretary-general of the Thai Rak Thai Party. Currently, he serves as acting deputy leader of the Pheu Thai Party.
He completed secondary education at Tawitapisek School, earned a Bachelor of Political Science from Chulalongkorn University in 1975, and a Master of Political Science from Chulalongkorn University in 1984. He also completed the National Defense College course at the National Defense College of Thailand in 2004.
He worked as deputy director of the volunteer program at the Social Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, starting in 1979. Later, he worked for a private company and served as assistant managing director of the executive office at the Shinawatra Group of Companies between 1997 and 1998.
He served as deputy secretary-general of the Thai Rak Thai Party until appointed Deputy Minister of Transport in 2005. During his tenure, he proposed a royal decree to the cabinet in December 2005 to dissolve the Parcel and Cargo Organization (R.S.P.), citing liquidity problems, accumulated debts exceeding 1.8 billion baht, and inability to compete with private transport businesses.
In 2007, he was banned from politics for five years for being an executive member of the Thai Rak Thai Party, which was dissolved in the 2006 political party dissolution case. In 2012, he joined the Pheu Thai Party and was elected secretary-general at the party meeting on 30 October 2012.
In the 2014 Thai general election, he ran on the party-list system for Pheu Thai Party, placed 21st on the list.
In the 2019 general election, he ran on the party-list system for Pheu Thai Party, placed 4th on the list, but was not elected as the party won more MPs than constitutionally allocated.
In the 2023 general election, he ran on the party-list system for Pheu Thai Party, placed 100th on the list, but was not elected.
Nonetheless, the successful formation of the Pheu Thai government this time is undeniably due to "Brother Ouan" Phumtham Wetchachai, one of the key strategists who coordinated all sides to achieve success.
Therefore, it is not surprising that he was trusted by the Pheu Thai Party to serve as first Deputy Prime Minister, concurrently Minister of Commerce, and effectively as the "government manager" who will oversee the country and the "Srettha 1" government in times when the Prime Minister "Srettha Tavisin" has to travel abroad or is unable to perform his duties.