A profile of Suriya Juangroongruangkit, one of the Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidates, known for the catchphrase “I’ll show it to my grandchildren,” tracing his journey from the Ministry of Transport to the Ministry of Agriculture in Anutin's second cabinet.
On 15 March 2026, reporters reported that in the reshuffle of Anutin’s second cabinet, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, the Pheu Thai Party’s election director and its nominee for prime minister, was appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, replacing Lt. Col. Thammanat Prompao of the Kla Party, who lost his ministerial seat and moved to the opposition.
Suriya, known for the catchphrase “ I’ll show it to my grandchildren.”
• He is the son of Mr. Ahong and Mrs. Somkiat Juangroongruangkit and the uncle of Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, former leader of the Future Forward Party.
Education:
• Completed secondary education at Triam Udom Suksa School.
• Holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, United States.
Business career
Before entering politics, Suriya was a billionaire businessman, co-founder and executive of the "Thai Summit Group," Thailand's largest automotive parts manufacturer, giving him expertise in industry and large-scale capital management.
20 years managing transport and industry
His political path earned him the nickname "Minister monopolizing transport and industry" because over more than 20 years in politics, he was continuously assigned roles in the Ministries of Transport and Industry. Suriya’s first political position was Minister of Industry in 1998 under Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai’s government, representing the Social Action Party quota. In 2001, he joined the Thai Rak Thai Party led by Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin Shinawatra and served again as Minister of Industry.
Key figure leading Pheu Thai to join Bhumjaithai coalition
In 2002, he was appointed Secretary-General of the Thai Rak Thai Party before being reassigned as Minister of Transport. In 2007, he was banned from politics for five years following the dissolution of Thai Rak Thai. Afterwards, he joined the Bhumjaithai Party. After the 2018 military government led by Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, Suriya, as leader of the Sam Mitr faction, joined the Palang Pracharath Party. When Gen. Prayut lost power, Suriya returned to Pheu Thai and was appointed Minister of Transport in the government of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. Under Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra’s government, he also holds the position of Deputy Prime Minister.
Following the latest general election on 8 February 2026, reports indicate Suriya played a major role in leading the Pheu Thai Party to join the government coalition with the Bhumjaithai Party, despite heavy conflicts between the two parties during the late Paethongtarn government, which led Anutin and the Bhumjaithai MPs to withdraw from Paethongtarn’s coalition.
Catchphrase “I’ll show it to my grandchildren”
On 8 January 2026, Suriya said at the Pheu Thai Party’s first major campaign rally at the City Hall plaza in Bangkok: “Throughout my 25 years in politics, I have been a hardworking, challenging worker unlike others. If a task is easy, I don’t do it. Every task I set my mind to has never failed. In my 25 years in politics, besides working for the nation and country, I will ‘show it to my grandchildren.’” The grandchildren he referred to are none other than Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, former leader of the Future Forward Party, who remains under a political ban for another three years.
