Biography of Peerapun Salirathavibhaga, leader of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party and prime ministerial candidate for the 2026 election. He has served as both Deputy Prime Minister and minister, emphasizing his principle of acting before speaking.
On 17 December 2025, after the Election Commission (EC) announced the registration period for constituency and party-list MP candidates from 27 to 31 December 2025, and set the election date for Sunday, 8 February 2026, various political parties began unveiling their candidates for MPs and prime ministerial contenders, including the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party. Mr. Peerapun Salirathavibhaga remains the party leader and prime ministerial candidate.
Peerapun Salirathavibhaga was born on 21 February 1959, nicknamed Tui. He is the son of Lieutenant General Narong Salirathavibhaga, former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce and former head of the military's energy department, and Sopapan Salirathavibhaga (maiden name Sumawong), the first Chula University star. He is married to Sunong Salirathavibhaga (maiden name Tonwanik), and they have four children.
Peerapun completed secondary education at Saint Gabriel's School, the same school as "Big Pom". He earned a Bachelor of Laws from Thammasat University, passed the Thai Bar Examination at the Bar Association Training Institute, and holds two master's degrees from Tulane University, USA: an LLM in American Law and an MCL in Comparative Law.
He worked as a lawyer from 1981 to 1986, holding key positions including assistant judge in 1986, ministry judge in 1987, judge of Tak Provincial Court in 1987, judge of Thanyaburi Provincial Court in 1988, ministry judge and director of the Academic Division at the Office of Judicial Promotion, Ministry of Justice in 1989, and civil court judge in 1992.
In politics, he unsuccessfully ran in 1992 and 1995 under the Democrat Party. He was first elected in 1996 and has held numerous political roles: adviser to the Minister of Education; member of the special committee to study constitutional amendments in 1992; adviser to the Minister of Justice in 1993; adviser to the Governor of Bangkok and member of the Justice and Human Rights Committee in 1996; Deputy Secretary-General to the Prime Minister for Political Affairs (Deputy PM Supachai Panitchpakdi) on 15 November 1997; MP for Bangkok's 11th district (Din Daeng) for the Democrat Party on 6 January 2001; Chair of the Anti-Corruption Commission on 12 June 2001; Democrat Party executive committee on 20 April 2003; party-list MP for the Democrat Party on 6 February 2005; MP for Bangkok's 3rd district, number 7, Democrat Party on 23 December 2007; Minister of Justice on 20 December 2008; party-list MP number 19 for the Democrat Party on 3 July 2011; party-list MP for the Democrat Party on 24 March 2019 (resigned from the Democrat Party on 9 December 2019).
He served as adviser to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha on 17 December 2019; party-list MP for Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party on 14 May 2023 (resigned on 30 June 2023); Secretary-General to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on 20 December 2022; and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy on 1 September 2023 (Srettha Thavisin government, constitutionally terminated on 14 August 2024). He became leader of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party on 3 August 2022.
He then served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy from 3 September 2024 under Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's government. During this time, an unofficial audio clip surfaced of a conversation between "Prime Minister Ing" Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Samdech Hun Sen, President of the Senate and former Cambodian leader. Hun Sen released the clip on 18 June 2025 amid a border dispute, prompting calls for the prime minister's accountability. Meanwhile, coalition parties met to discuss their political stance and whether to withdraw from the coalition government. The full 17-minute clip features "Ing" discussing with "Uncle Hun Sen" the Thailand-Cambodia border issue, causing the government to face its gravest crisis. )
At that time, Peerapun brought the matter to a meeting at Ban Jan Songla, the residence of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, father of Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Rumors circulated that a proposal was made to replace Prime Minister Paetongtarn with Chaiyasem Nitisiri,candidatefor the last prime minister from the Pheu Thai Party then, before the crisis could escalate further and potentially lead to a political crisis aiming to oust the Pheu Thai government as in the past.
However, reports indicated that influential figure Newin Chidchob discussed political crisis solutions with the former prime minister, showing support for Peerapun to become prime minister to overcome the current crisis. This idea also gained backing from party secretary Ekkanat Promphan and former People's Democratic Reform Committee leader Suthep Thaugsuban, which could affect cabinet reshuffles pending clearer political developments.
This culminated in the Constitutional Court's decision on 29 August 2025, which ruled by a 6:3 majority that Paetongtarn Shinawatra was removed from the prime ministership due to the audio clip with Hun Sen, causing the entire cabinet to be dissolved.6:3 majority ruling by the Constitutional Court removing "Paetongtarn" as prime minister, dissolving the entire cabinet.This led to a vote for a new prime minister on 5 September 2025, when Parliament approved Anutin Charnvirakul as the 32nd prime minister by 311 to 152 votes. Parliament approved Anutin as the 32nd prime minister. The formation of Anutin's government did not include the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party as a coalition partner, leading to internal party splits, with some members joining the Bhumjaithai Party.
In the general election scheduled by the Election Commission (EC) for Sunday, 8 February 2026, Peerapun remains the leader and prime ministerial candidate of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party, contesting the election.Mr. Peerapunstated during a press conference on 8 December 2025 titled "Decisive Crisis Resolution, Country Transformation" that Ruam Thai Sang Chart is a relatively new party, only 3-4 years old. We are not a large party, but if judged by decisiveness, results, and seriousness in solving the country's problems, and by lack of conflicts of interest, Ruam Thai Sang Chart is the greatest political party in the country, I affirm. Judged by integrity and dedication, the candidates are great. I am confident that I do not just speak—I have been in politics for 30 years. I don't need to say "do then speak," but that's my approach. Many crises exist, and I have worked without publicizing it because I did not come for personal fame or image-building. I came to work, not to play politics like others. .
