Profile of Atthawit Suwannapakdi, a former young Democrat Party member and founder of the Kla Party, who has become the second prime ministerial candidate for the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party and recently advanced to party-list MP following Peerapun's resignation.,
On 11 Mar 2026 GMT+7, regarding the reporting of party-list members of the House of Representatives (MPs) for Ruam Thai Sang Chart (RTSC), only one out of 499 MPs had yet to report to the Secretariat of the House of Representatives according to the Election Commission (EC). This individual was: Mr. Peerapun Sareerathwipak, party-list MP and leader of Ruam Thai Sang Chart. Today, Mr. Peerapun has submitted his resignation as an MP, which means the next in line on the party-list, ranked third, is Mr. Atthawit Suwannapakdi. Since Ruam Thai Sang Chart secured two party-list MPs from the 2026 election results, with the second ranked member, Mr. Chatchawan Khongudom, having already reported,
Mr. Atthawit is also the party’s second prime ministerial candidate. During the election campaign, the party promoted the slogan “Decisive in Crisis, Transforming the Nation,” with notable policies including canceling MOUs 43-44, constructing a fence along the Thai-Cambodian border, granting a 200,000 baht combat allowance to soldiers, and offering 30,000 baht to voluntary military conscripts.
Mr. Atthawit Suwannapakdi, nicknamed Ae, was born on 26 Mar 1978 GMT+7. He is the son of Mr. Sompong Suwannapakdi and Mrs. Pakinee Suwannapakdi, a former deputy leader of the Chart Pattana Party and multiple-term MP. He is married to Pin Suwannapakdi (maiden name Burapachaisri); they have known each other since studying at Thammasat University and have two children.
Atthawit’s education includes graduating from Saint Gabriel's College for secondary school, earning a Bachelor of Laws from Thammasat University, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Financial Law and Banking from Boston University, USA.
Mr. Atthawit previously worked as a civil servant at the Ministry of Finance, specifically at the Fiscal Policy Office (FPO), where he was responsible for legal matters and economic stimulus measures.
In 2007, he entered politics with the Democrat Party and was elected MP for Bangkok’s Chatuchak-Laksi district at just 29 years old. He became known as a prominent young politician within the party and gained recognition for his vigorous opposition role in Parliament, notably scrutinizing the rice pledging scheme and budget debates.
In 2020, he resigned from the Democrat Party to join Korn Chatikavanij in founding the Kla Party, serving as the party secretary-general. The party emphasized a pragmatic approach and solving economic issues through technology. Kla later merged with Chart Pattana Party to become Chart Pattana Kla Party, where Atthawit was appointed deputy leader. Following Korn’s resignation from Chart Pattana Kla, Atthawit joined Ruam Thai Sang Chart and was appointed advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Peerapun Sareerathwipak.
Most recently, Atthawit was appointed the second prime ministerial candidate of Ruam Thai Sang Chart, responsible for the party’s economic policies in the upcoming election.
