Introduction Profile of “Akniti Nitithanprapas” He rose to become Deputy Prime Minister and concurrently Minister of Finance in Anutin's first cabinet. His distinguished background includes academic excellence with scholarships from undergraduate through doctoral studies, and experience in both Thai banking and the World Bank, earning the attention of Prime Minister Anutin.
On 19 Sep 2025 GMT+7, reporters noted that the Royal Gazette published the royal decree appointing the new cabinet of Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul. Anutin Charnvirakul The appointments are effective immediately. This cabinet includes an external quota minister: Mr. Akniti Nitithanprapas, Director-General of the Treasury Department, who has been appointed Deputy Prime Minister and concurrently Minister of Finance in Anutin's first cabinet. In Anutin's first cabinet, this time.
Prime Minister Anutin explained that appointing Mr. Akniti Nitithanprapas as Deputy Prime Minister alongside Minister of Finance is because the Finance Minister must engage on global platforms; the additional role as Deputy Prime Minister increases opportunities beyond a regular minister, enhancing international credibility.
Mr. Akniti, Minister of Finance, graduated with a Bachelor of Economics with honors from Thammasat University (under a Thammasat Economics Association scholarship). He then received a Thai government scholarship (Office of the Civil Service Commission) to pursue a Master's degree in Economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by a doctoral scholarship in Economics from Claremont Graduate University, USA. Known as an outstanding student, he received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Illinois and the Outstanding Scholarship Student Award from the Office of the Civil Service Commission. He received the Rising Economist Award in 2009 and the Outstanding Economist Award in 2018 from the Thammasat Economics Association, as well as Outstanding Alumni Awards from the Faculty of Economics and Thammasat University in 2024. Additionally, Mr. Akniti was a youth national rugby football player for Thailand and served as president of the Thammasat University Rugby Football Club.
Previously, he served as Director-General of the Treasury Department and simultaneously held positions as Chairman of the Board of Directors of TMBThanachart Bank Public Company Limited, Director and Chairman of the Corporate Governance and Sustainability Committee of PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited, Chairman of Treasury Asset Development Company Limited, board member and executive committee member of Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB), OECD & United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a board member and executive committee member of Vajiravudh College, and a member of the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) University Council.
His work experience began at the World Bank in the USA as Senior Advisor to the Executive Director. He later served as spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance before being appointed Deputy Ambassador (Economic and Financial Affairs) to the United Kingdom and Europe. He has also been an international economic advisor at the Fiscal Policy Office and director of the State Enterprise Policy Office.
During the government of General Prayut Chan-o-cha, there was an approved transfer of Mr. Akniti from Director-General of the Revenue Department to Director-General of the Excise Department, with Mr. Lawaron Saengsanit moving from Excise Director-General to Revenue Director-General upon completion of a 4-year term. Later, under the government of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, he was again reassigned to serve as Director-General of the Treasury Department.
In his capacity as chairman, he has led Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, Krung Thai Bank Public Company Limited, Thanachart Bank Public Company Limited, National Credit Bureau Company Limited, Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Bank), SME Bank’s Risk Management Committee, Krungthai Asset Management Company Limited (KTAM) Risk Management Committee, served as director and corporate governance committee member of Siam Commercial Bank Public Company Limited, director of Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Limited, and director of IRPC Public Company Limited.
Mr. Akniti’s notable achievements include leading the digital transformation of the Revenue and Excise Departments to improve public service, earning the Outstanding Digital Organization Leader Award from the government in 2023, the international Digital Government Award in the Asia-Oceania region in 2022, and the Thailand Digital Transformation Award in 2021. He also initiated the establishment of the Thailand Future Fund, a new government financing source to reduce national debt burden. He led state enterprise reforms by implementing a competency-based Skill Matrix system for selecting board members and co-founded and designed the macroeconomic analysis and forecasting system for the Ministry of Finance.