A profile of Supachai Suthamphun, who denies being the 'blue bearer' but has propelled Bhumjaithai Party's popularity. With notable achievements including the “Rice for Arms” policy, she is poised to serve as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce in the second Anutin Cabinet.
On 16 March 2026, the new cabinet lineup of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's government in the second Anutin Cabinet was confirmed. The Kla Party is not joining the coalition, while Bhumjaithai Party retains key seats for three technocrats.The technocratsare Ekniti Nitithanprapas, who continues as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and Sihasak Puangketkaew, who remains Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Meanwhile, Supachai Suthamphun will take a Deputy Prime Minister role alongside her position as Minister of Commerce.
Supachai Suthamphun, nicknamed “Taem,” was born on 15 April 1964 and is currently 61 years old. She is married to Prethayut Niwasabut, CEO of Lifespan Care Co., Ltd., and they have two children. She completed secondary education at Saint Joseph Bangna School, Bangkok, and earned a bachelor's degree.in Sociology and Anthropologyfrom Thammasat University. She also holds a master's degree in Business Administration (Finance and International Accounting) from Northrop University, Inglewood, California, USA. Currently, she is pursuing a doctoral degree in Buddhist Studies specializing in Innovation and Peace Studies at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University.
Supachai was Managing Director of IBM (Thailand) before becoming Vice President of General Business overseeing Southeast Asia and India. She was then appointed Executive Assistant (EA) to IBM Chairman Samuel J. Palmisano at IBM headquarters in New York City, becoming the first ASEAN executive in that role. Later, she served as General Manager for the ASEAN region in Global Technology Services.
After leaving IBM, Supachai became CEO of Thaicom in 2011, when the company faced years of accumulated losses. She successfully turned the company around, restoring profitability and its image across Asia.
In 2016, she was appointed Group CEO of Dusit Thani Public Company Limited, becoming the first non-family executive. She played a key role in driving the mixed-use Dusit Central Park project in central Bangkok and expanded the food and catering business under Dusit Foods. This earned her a spot on Forbes’ 50 Over 50 Asia 2024 list.
Additionally, Supachai served as an independent director for Kasikornbank and SCG Packaging before resigning from all three positions in September 2025.
Supachai entered politics when Anutin Charnvirakul formed the Bhumjaithai government. She wasapproached toserve as Minister of Commerce in the first Anutin Cabinet. She impressed with her performance in her first parliamentary debate, earning praise from opposition MPs for her preparation and creativity.
Her standout achievement is the modern barter trade policy, negotiating deals where partners purchasing Thai weapons, fighter jets, or warships must also buy agricultural products like rice and cassava at 10-20% value to address surplus farm goods. Her positive image and communication skills have boosted her popularity steadily. Anutin even announced her as a Bhumjaithai prime minister candidate, which she declined. Nevertheless, she continues to campaign for the party and is often seen as the 'blue bearer,' a label she rejects. She affirmed this during her first major speech at Lumpini Park election rally in Bangkok on 30 January 2026, stating: “Many say I am the 'blue bearer,' working for Bhumjaithai and for Prime Minister Anutin. Today, I want to clarify that I do not work for the party or for Prime Minister Anutin. I work for everyone in front of me. I work for our country and all Thai people, regardless of where they live or vote. We are all Thai, and I will do my best with full dedication.” Supachai said.
In forming the second Anutin Cabinet, Supachai was namedDeputy Prime Ministerwhile retaining her role as Minister of Commerce, as Anutin had promised during his campaign: electing Bhumjaithai means getting "Supachai, Ekniti, and Sihasak" as Deputy Prime Ministers.
