A profile of Lieutenant General Pradorn Phatthana-thabutr, former Secretary-General of the National Security Council, a professional military officer and security analyst, after he accepted to be one of the prime ministerial candidates for the Thai Sang Thai Party in the 2026 election.
On 17 Dec 2025 GMT+7, reporters reported that on 12 Dec 2025 GMT+7, the Thai Sang Thai Party (TST) issued a statement on behalf of the party saying that with the Royal Decree dissolving the House of Representatives B.E. 2568 (2025) in effect, the political situation has entered an election process within no more than 60 days. This has impacted the official schedule for announcing the party's prime ministerial candidate list. However, during this period, the Thai Sang Thai Party has engaged in discussions and verbally invited Lieutenant General Pradorn Phatthana-thabutr, former Secretary-General of the National Security Council, to be nominated as one of the party's prime ministerial candidates for this election, and Lieutenant General Pradorn has verbally accepted. Procedures will be followed according to the official regulations of the Thai Sang Thai Party. Therefore, given the time constraints, the party wishes to inform the public and media preliminarily that Lieutenant General Pradorn will be one of the prime ministerial candidates of the Thai Sang Thai Party in the upcoming election that will take place soon.
Regarding the background of Lieutenant General Pradorn Phatthana-thabutr, also known as "Sergeant Meow", he is a professional military officer and security analyst who has played a significant role in Thai society for a long time. He is the third of five children of Lieutenant General Kobboon Phatthana-thabutr and Mrs. Buathong Phatthana-thabutr.
He graduated from the Armed Forces Preparatory School Class 14, Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy Class 25 in the artillery corps, Army Command and Staff College Class 64, and the National Defence College Class 39. He also holds a bachelor's degree in law from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University and two master's degrees: a Master of Arts in Military Science from the Army Command and Staff College and a Master of Public Administration from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA).
Regarding his role in the National Security Council, Lieutenant General Pradorn began working in 1991 in the position of military liaison officer before advancing to become Deputy Secretary-General of the NSC. In 2012, he was appointed Secretary-General of the NSC, responsible for strategic national security. One of his key tasks was integrating solutions to the problems in the southern border provinces and coordinating security agencies from the military, police, and civilian sectors, as well as developing intelligence and command systems to address new security threats.
During his tenure as Secretary-General of the NSC, Lieutenant General Pradorn was prominent in driving national security strategies, particularly in conflict areas in the south, as well as leading projects to restructure and enhance the efficiency and unity of NSC operations. His comprehensive coordination approach and modern security perspective earned him recognition as a national expert on security policy.
After retirement, Lieutenant General Pradorn has remained a public figure with a role in providing commentary and analysis on political and security issues in mainstream and online media. His in-depth knowledge from intelligence work and state power structures has made him an influential voice explaining political dynamics, conflicts, and Thailand's future security direction, reflecting experience that connects military, security, and modern state administration dimensions.
Lieutenant General Pradorn began his political work affiliated with the Pheu Thai Party, serving as an advisor to the party, chairman of the party's security subcommittee, and secretary of the party's special affairs committee. He later helped establish the Puen Tham Party before splitting off to co-found the Sawatdee Khon Thai group.
On 1 Dec 2025 GMT+7, he was introduced as chairman of security strategy for the Thai Sang Thai Party, and on 12 Dec 2025 GMT+7, he officially registered as a party member. The party also announced him as a nominee for prime minister in the 2026 general election. He plans to apply decades of experience to policy design addressing key national issues such as digital security, online threats, border problems, and state risk management systems. Recently, the Thai Sang Thai Party announced its list of prime ministerial candidates, including Lieutenant General Pradorn, marking a significant step reflecting confidence in his national leadership and political experience in security.
Meanwhile, Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan, leader of the Thai Sang Thai Party, issued a statement welcoming Lieutenant General Pradorn as one of the party's prime ministerial candidates. She said that bringing in personnel with genuine knowledge and high experience is an important step for the party to drive the political change the country has been waiting for. Thailand needs to start by addressing the root problems of its political structure, building an honest and transparent system, and preventing corruption from becoming deeply entrenched as in the past, to restore public confidence in state mechanisms and political institutions.
Khunying Sudarat added that without decisively tackling corruption, the country cannot sustainably overcome economic and social crises. Regarding strengthening the security team, the Thai Sang Thai Party invited Lieutenant General Pradorn to serve as chairman of security strategy, considering his decades-long experience at the national strategic level and deep understanding of both domestic and international security situations, making him well-suited to lead the party's approach to modern security.
The party leader further said that Lieutenant General Pradorn's ideas align with the party's ideology aimed at creating honest politics, reducing the influence of vested interests, and steadfastly fighting corruption in all forms. She emphasized that for Thailand to break free from crises, politics must begin with honest, selfless, and principled individuals. The arrival of "Sergeant Meow" thus completes an important piece in seriously moving forward with national reform.