Profile of Teng Natthapong Ruangpanyawut, leader of the People's Party, whose party meeting resolved to nominate him as a candidate for prime minister to compete with Anutin Charnvirakul in the upcoming vote.
After the Election Commission officially certified the results for members of the House of Representatives (MPs), both constituency and party-list MPs reported to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives. The next steps include the formal opening of the parliamentary session on 14 March, followed by votes for the Speaker and the first and second Deputy Speakers. The timeline anticipates a prime ministerial vote on 19 March 2026. The leading coalition party, Bhumjaithai, holding the largest number of seats, has gathered 291 coalition votes and will nominate Anutin Charnvirakul as prime minister.
Most recently, on 13 March 2026, the People's Party meeting resolved to nominate Natthapong Ruangpanyawut, the party’s top prime ministerial candidate, to run for prime minister, affirming the party’s position as the leading opposition. Before the vote, candidates presented their visions to demonstrate their suitability and the benefits they would bring to the public from this important position.
. Natthapong Ruangpanyawut, nicknamed Teng, was born on 18 May 1987 and will turn 39 in 2026. He is the fourth son of Suchat Ruangpanyawut, Managing Director of Chananthorn Development Group Co., Ltd. (a real estate development company) and Chairman of Ruangpanya Housing Co., Ltd.
Natthapong completed secondary education at Tawithapisek School and earned a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from Chulalongkorn University. Healso previously managed absolute.co.th, a cloud solutions provider, before entering politics.
Natthapong was elected as MP for Bangkok Constituency 28 with the former Future Forward Party in the 2019 general election. In the 2023 election, he ran as a party-list candidate for the former Move Forward Party and was elected as a party-list MP until the Constitutional Court dissolved the Move Forward Party and banned its executive members from politics for 10 years.
Natthapong maintains a good relationship with Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, Chair of the Progressive Movement and former Future Forward leader, and continues to meet and consult with the People's Party regularly. From the dissolution of Move Forward on 7 August until 9 August 2024, the People's Party was established as the new vehicle for the 'orange' political faction.
Because the People's Party has the most MPs among parties without members holding ministerial posts, Speaker, or Deputy Speaker positions, after the completion of the 64th Thai cabinet's policy statement, Natthapong became the de facto leader of the opposition in the House of Representatives. He received a royal appointment on 25 September, published in the Government Gazette on 1 October, and accepted the royal command on the same day, making him the youngest opposition leader in Thailand’s House of Representatives at 37 years, 4 months, and 7 days old, breaking the previous record held by Abhisit Vejjajiva, former Democrat Party leader, who first became opposition leader at 40 years, 8 months, and 20 days.
