Potjaman’s last bet, knowing the elite in ways Thaksin never did
Once cautioning Thaksin to embrace Thailand’s elite, Potjaman now emerges as the strategist rebranding Pheu Thai for its next electoral battle.
On Monday (September 15), Khunying Potjaman Damapong, the former wife of ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, visited him at Klong Prem Central Prison together with their daughters, Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Pintongta Kunakornwong. The scene was likened to a poignant chapter in a life drama.
Speaking to reporters as Thaksin’s daughter, ex-prime minister Paetongtarn remarked:
“Father is even stronger than us… Over the past 17 years, our family has gone through many experiences. This time, even though we could only meet through glass, we encouraged one another on every matter, every topic.”
The following day, Tuesday, September 16, Khunying Potjaman made a rare appearance at a meeting of Pheu Thai MPs. She offered words of encouragement, telling them simply, “Keep fighting,” which drew a standing ovation from the lawmakers.
Observers noted that the brief words from the “lady of Chan Song La Residence” served as a morale booster for the Pheu Thai ranks, reinforcing confidence that the Shinawatra family remains determined to fight the next election to the fullest.
Pojaman’s face in the mirror
In late 2022, Thaksin Shinawatra’s three children collaborated to publish the book 'Thaksin Shinawatra: Theory and Thought.' It marked the first time Khunying Pojaman gave a personal interview about her husband, reflecting on their shared journey and family.
When asked about her bond with Thaksin, she recalled:
“We grew up together. I met him when I was 15 and he was 21. We went abroad to study together, endured hardships together, and built our lives entirely side by side.”
During the 17 years Thaksin lived in exile, he admitted that whenever he looked into the mirror, he would see Potjaman’s face.
“...Because of the words I once cautioned him with, and I believe he remembers them well. Now he must surely understand, and I think he must feel sorrow. What I truly wish is for him to return and take care of his grandchildren,” Pojaman said when asked about Thaksin’s remark that whenever he looked into the mirror, he saw only his wife’s face.
The “lady of Chan Song La Residence” did not elaborate on what her warnings to her husband had been, or whether forgetting them had led to the fate that carried the former prime minister into prison.
What is clear is that Thaksin may have forgotten his own promises before returning to Thailand:
- to come home for the sake of his grandchildren’s future,
- to forgive his political rivals,
- and to relieve Potjaman of the burdens she had carried for so long.
The lesson of a fool
When Thaksin Shinawatra, under the alias “Tony Woodsome,” once spoke on Clubhouse, he explained why he had been overthrown and forced into exile. He admitted it was because he was “simple, even foolish,” never part of the elite establishment.
In the book 'Thaksin Shinawatra: Theory and Thought,' in the chapter titled 'The Fool,' he was asked what he felt he had been most foolish about.
Thaksin replied:
“I may have been foolish about people. My life experience was that of a country boy. Life was simple. I grew up in the provinces.”
A son of Chinese immigrants in northern Thailand, Thaksin enrolled in the Police Cadet Academy, then pursued his studies abroad. On returning, he focused only on building his business, eventually rising to become a telecommunications tycoon.
“Life moved too fast. I had little exposure to Bangkok society, little exposure to the circles of the elite. My world was the military, the police, and business. Not very broad. I didn’t know many bankers. So I was not part of the elite society. Even though my wealth placed me among the elite, I was not inside their circles. That, to me, was my foolishness.”
For Thaksin, the elite class was little different from the rhetoric used by red-shirt leaders about “commoners and aristocrats.”
By contrast, Khunying Potjaman has long been able to access the inner networks of Thailand’s deep state. If, in the future, “Lady of Chan Song La Residence” is to lead Pheu Thai into the next general election, she will likely draw on Thaksin’s hard-earned lessons from the past two years, lessons of a man who involved himself in everything.
