Paetongtarn’s political journey: stepping down as party leader to overhaul Pheu Thai

Tracing Paetongtarn’s path — from rise to resignation

Paetongtarn Shinawatra has resigned as leader of the Pheu Thai Party to pave the way for a complete restructuring and overhaul of the party. Her resignation follows a slump in popularity and her removal as prime minister by a Constitutional Court ruling.

Her frontline political arc spans four years, from her emergence to becoming Thailand’s 31st prime minister, before stepping back as party leader to preserve the party and prepare for the coming general election.

Paetongtarn resigned the Pheu Thai leadership on October 22, 2025, a move widely seen as aimed at keeping the party intact amid declining popularity since mid-2025, following controversy over an audio clip of her conversation with Hun Sen, President of the Cambodian Senate.

The clip rattled Thai politics. On August 29, 2025, the Constitutional Court, by a 6–3 decision, held that Paetongtarn had seriously breached ethical standards. She was consequently removed as prime minister, reshaping the political equation and enabling the Bhumjaithai Party to form a minority government with support from the People’s Party, on a roadmap to dissolve the House by January 31, 2026.

As Pheu Thai’s ratings failed to rebound, the party suffered warm-up defeats in two by-elections in Si Sa Ket and Kanchanaburi to Bhumjaithai, though it beat the People’s Party in Chiang Rai.

Insiders around Paetongtarn ultimately opted for a defensive move — timing her exit from the leadership to stabilise the party — even as some in Pheu Thai had earlier urged her to step down immediately.

From backroom role to party frontliner

Paetongtarn’s first front-stage step came as Chair of Advisors on Participation and Innovation at Pheu Thai during the party’s annual general meeting in Khon Kaen on October 28, 2021, after Sompong Amornvivat ceded the platform and Cholnan Srikaew took over as leader.

“I’m not a politician; I’m working as a party advisor,” she said then, pledging to widen opportunities for the new generation while keeping future options open.

She set about modernising Pheu Thai’s image, rejuvenating the “red camp” brand with a Gen-Y, youth-forward look.

On March 20, 2022, in Udon Thani — a red-shirt stronghold — she added the role of Head of the Pheu Thai Family in the “Big Home, Same Heart” launch, widely read as a runway to the party leadership and a return of Thaksin Shinawatra’s political DNA.

“It’s time to change and meet people’s evolving needs… we will never forget grassroots supporters… the season for this big tree has come,” she said as family head.

2023 election and coalition resets

Ahead of the May 14, 2023 general election, Paetongtarn edged closer to the premiership as one of Pheu Thai’s three PM candidates alongside Srettha Thavisin and Chaikasem Nitisiri. Pregnant, she campaigned beside Srettha and Cholnan under the “landslide” push. Pheu Thai, however, lost to Move Forward — its first general election defeat since Thai Rak Thai’s founding.

In post-election bargaining, Pheu Thai initially supported Pita Limjaroenrat for PM, but when a Move Forward-led government failed to materialise, cross-bloc talks followed. From the background, Paetongtarn helped drive Srettha’s elevation as the 30th prime minister.

Leader of Pheu Thai — and rise to the premiership

On October 27, 2023, an extraordinary party congress elected Paetongtarn as Pheu Thai’s first female leader, with Sorawong Thienthong as secretary-general.

Her path to the premiership came sooner than expected. After the Constitutional Court’s 5–4 ruling on August 14, 2024 removed Srettha, Parliament voted 319–145 on August 16, 2024 to make Paetongtarn the 31st prime minister.

Public support for PM “Ing” improved on some policies, but flagships stalled — notably the 10,000-baht digital wallet and the entertainment complex initiative. While the anti-tech-crime and anti-scam drive gathered pace, tensions on the Thai–Cambodian border escalated in early 2025.

Her fortunes turned when Hun Sen released a 17-minute audio clip of their conversation on social media. The backlash was swift: the content included allegations that Paetongtarn saw the Second Army Region commander as an opponent, risking bilateral ties and preceding border clashes.

On July 1, 2025, the Constitutional Court, by 7–2, ordered Paetongtarn to suspend duties as prime minister; she still attended Cabinet as Minister of Culture. On August 29, 2025, by 6–3, the Court ended her ministerial status for a serious ethical breach over the clip.

The ruling read in part that, although she argued it was a private, peace-seeking conversation to avoid harm, the public could reasonably doubt whether she acted in Cambodia’s interest over Thailand’s, undermining trust in her premiership and damaging confidence in her duties.

From PM exit to party reboot — and resignation

After leaving the premiership, Paetongtarn stayed on as party leader and launched the “Overhaul Pheu Thai, Overhaul Thailand” campaign on October 7, 2025. But on October 22, 2025, she resigned to clear the way for an extraordinary general meeting on October 31 to elect a new executive board.

“As a major party, Pheu Thai must be overhauled — structure, processes, thinking — to win the election and then overhaul Thailand,” she said in her statement.

Her political journey began on October 28, 2021 and, for now, pauses with her resignation on October 22, 2025 — a move to protect the party, not to exit politics for good. The Shinawatra DNA remains central to Pheu Thai’s electoral pitch, whether or not its next PM candidate is a Shinawatra.
 

1. Banjongsak Wongratanawan — founding leader (Sep 20, 2007 – Sep 20, 2008). Now No. 58 on Pheu Thai’s party-list.
2. Suchart Thada-Thamrongvech — led the transition from People Power to Pheu Thai (Sep 21, 2008 – Nov 19, 2008).
3. Yongyuth Wichaidit — took over days after People Power was dissolved; led the July 3, 2011 election victory with Yingluck Shinawatra as PM; later resigned over the Alpine golf course case (Dec 7, 2008 – Oct 4, 2012).
4. Charupong Ruangsuwan — elected after Yongyuth; fled to the US following the May 22, 2014 coup (Oct 30, 2012 – Jun 16, 2014).
5. Pol Lt Gen Viroj Pao-in — wartime leader through the coup era and into the Mar 24, 2019 election (Oct 28, 2018 – Jul 2, 2019).
6. Sompong Amornvivat — succeeded Viroj; became Leader of the Opposition as Viroj was not an MP (Jul 12, 2019 – Oct 28, 2021).
7. Cholnan Srikaew, M.D. — rebranded Pheu Thai for youth appeal and led the May 14, 2023 campaign (Oct 28, 2021 – Aug 30, 2023).
8. Paetongtarn Shinawatra — first female leader; succeeded Cholnan (Oct 27, 2023 – Oct 22, 2025); after a caretaker period under Chusak Sirinil, she became PM No. 31 before later stepping down as party leader.