The People's Party presented the vision and biography of Nattaya Boonpakdee, candidate for Minister of Social Development and Human Security and sixth on the party list, who champions welfare from the prenatal period through to life's final stage.
On 8 Jan 2026 GMT+7, the People's Party (PPP) revealed its government management team, The Professionals, should it form the government. Today marked the unveiling of the fourth figure focusing on children, youth, families, and learning. Ms. Nattaya Boonpakdee, the sixth-ranked list MP candidate from the People's Party, is also the candidate for Minister of Social Development and Human Security.
The People's Party stated Nattaya's vision that the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) is truly the "main pillar" of Thai society because it must provide care from the prenatal stage to the end of life but has long been overlooked. Welfare must be allocated appropriately for every age group, requiring genuine integrated work across ministries. However, we have yet to see if such integration truly exists.
Volunteering to lead the management team for children, youth, families, and learning is a challenging task, but not for Ms. Nattaya Boonpakdee, former senior director of the Office of Support for Child, Youth, and Family Well-being at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth). With over three decades of experience, she has witnessed problems, obstacles, and challenges and contributed to engaging civil society in social development on various issues and across many regions nationwide.
Currently, Ms. Nattaya is a People's Party list MP candidate with expertise that is both comprehensive and in-depth. She has pushed for legislation, worked as an NGO on women's rights, sexual diversity, and sex education, and has closely interacted with people of all ages through nationwide fieldwork. She is slated to be a key member of the management team for children, youth, families, and learning if the People's Party forms the government.
Given the complexity and diversity of issues affecting people of different ages, Ms. Nattaya points out that the government alone cannot manage them all. The solution is to involve civil society as partners in social development alongside the state. Importantly, the administrative structure must be reformed to enhance efficiency without adding extra budgetary burdens to the country.
"If the government is sector one and the private sector is sector two, then the people must be sector three, becoming partners in social development alongside the government. We must also manage the national budget in new ways to enable sector three to participate in social development," she said.
Besides pushing for legislation, cultural dimensions are equally important, especially regarding sexual diversity, which reflects human dignity and is strongly influenced by upbringing. Nattaya is determined that cultural deconstruction and reconstruction is feasible if given the opportunity to act. The path to welfare from prenatal stages to life's end should start as early as possible. For Thailand, which is rapidly aging with low birth rates and an aging population wealth disparity, a solution might be a return to community-based approaches.
Ms. Nattaya Boonpakdee, nicknamed Phueng, holds a bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, Thammasat University, and a master's degree in Population Research and Reproductive Health (International Program) from Mahidol University.
Career history
2001-2013: Co-founder and director of the Foundation for Women's Health Understanding.
2014-2017: Project management officer for youth at the United Nations Population Fund - Thailand.
2018-2025: Director of the Office of Support for Child, Youth, and Family Well-being at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHealth).