Dr. Chen - Yotsanan Wongsawat, eldest son of former Prime Minister Somchai and Jay Daeng Yaowapa, and nephew of Thaksin and Yingluck, is one of three Pheu Thai Party candidates for prime minister who has prior political experience already.
On 16 December 2025, one name from the Pheu Thai Party has been noted: Professor Dr. Yotsanan Wongsawat. A researcher in brain science and biomedical engineering, he has recently drawn renewed attention approaching the general election. Professor Dr. Yotsanan appeared as a speaker on the topic “From Research to Policy” at the Pheu Thai Young Professionals Program (YPP) second cohort. He is a political heir from an important family, closely watched as a likely Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate. In the past, he was also considered as a potential Pheu Thai party leader and was named in June 2025 as a candidate for Minister of Education, though he later declined.
Most recently, on 16 December, it was confirmed that the Pheu Thai Party introduced Professor Dr. Yotsanan Wongsawat as one of three prime ministerial candidates. In one part of his vision statement, he said his life reflects many Thais who grew up in civil servant and nurse families, relocating across provinces, attending provincial boarding schools, instilled with the belief that knowledge and hard work are the way to change one’s life. Thailand recovered from the major economic crisis of 1997 due to confidence that Thais could succeed, as shown by the Thai Rak Thai party’s policies that changed people’s lives and lifted the country from crisis. Yet throughout his journey, he faced repeated injustices. As of 2025, Thailand faces a perfect storm of economic challenges, geopolitics, climate change, and technological transition. Pheu Thai’s prime ministers have tackled these issues fully, but political instability has caused annual changes in prime ministership. Despite this, the achievements merit respect for the former Pheu Thai prime ministers.
Regarding Thailand’s future direction, if today we choose to innovate, restructure the economy and technology, and use Thai creativity, a good future is possible. As a Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidate, he aims to lead Thailand out of the current crisis with the goal of quickly elevating the country to high-income status. Science, technology, and AI will be central, with strategies to enhance existing economic sectors—agriculture, manufacturing, services—using modern technology, while creating new economic engines by integrating local potential with cutting-edge technology. This includes transitions in climate, industrial production, health, and quality of life.
The government must advance in three areas: 1. Build comprehensive security—military, cyber, food, energy, and climate change resilience—alongside diplomacy balancing Thailand’s interests; 2. Restore trust through rule of law, justice for the people, digital government to ensure transparency, prevent corruption, combined with AI transformation to establish a one-stop government service system; 3. Establish modern infrastructure—transportation, logistics, AI-powered safety, digital infrastructure, clean energy, welfare, education, research, and innovation—to support the new economy and upgrade the existing one. Preparing people to align with this new economic foundation is vital. All Thais must have equal growth opportunities, regardless of location, not for any party but to create change centered on the people.
“This journey is not just Pheu Thai’s, but a journey for us to help rebuild the country again. Today, everyone from Thai Rak Thai who was denied justice returns home, joined by Pheu Thai’s new generation. We are confident we can do it, starting now, at this moment, to overhaul Thailand. If Pheu Thai can do it, Thailand certainly can,” he stated.
Regarding the background of Professor Dr. Yotsanan Wongsawat, nicknamed Chen, he is the eldest son of Mr. Somchai Wongsawat, former prime minister, and Mrs. Yaowapa Wongsawat, also known as Jay Daeng, (younger sister of Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, former prime minister, and elder sister of Ms. Yingluck Shinawatra, the first female prime minister). He holds a master's degree in electrical engineering and a doctoral degree in brainwave studies, with a dissertation on using brain signals to assist people with disabilities. During his tenure as a professor at the Faculty of Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering at Mahidol University, he is currently Vice President for Research at Mahidol University and a professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering.
Professor Dr. Yotsanan once ran for Member of Parliament for Chiang Mai’s 3rd constituency in the 2014 general election. Unofficial results showed Mr. Yotsanan won the seat, but due to political protests led by the People's Committee for Complete Democracy with the King as Head of State (PDRC) against Ms. Yingluck’s government, leading to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) coup, although he won, he was unable to be officially declared MP and enter politics then.
On 28 January 2025, the Cabinet under Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra, the 31st prime minister, approved, upon proposal by Deputy Prime Minister Prasert Chanruangthong, the appointment of Mr. Yotsanan Wongsawat as an expert committee member (in management and human resources) on the Digital Government Development Agency's board.
However, Professor Dr. Yotsanan is highly watched after Mr. Chulaphan Amornwiwat, Pheu Thai Party leader, revealed plans to announce the prime ministerial candidate names in mid-December 2025 but withheld details. He disclosed that Professor Dr. Yotsanan is an academic assisting party policy. A clip circulated showed him as a speaker in the Pheu Thai training program YPP, a group of young political talents nationwide aiming to drive the country’s future, with Professor Dr. Yotsanan serving as one of the instructors.
Going forward, attention will focus on whether the eldest son of this former prime minister, returning to politics for the 2026 general election, will help the Pheu Thai Party achieve its set goals.
