Bangkok (VNA) – Julapun Amornvivat, a former deputy finance minister of Thailand, has been elected as the new leader of the Pheu Thai Party.
Julapun, a Chiang Mai member of parliament, became the ninth leader of Pheu Thai, receiving 354 votes in his favour, with 15 abstentions.
He replaces former Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who recently stepped down to pave the way for a major party shake-up aimed at restoring public confidence and boosting the party’s popularity ahead of the upcoming general election scheduled for March 29 next year.
Julapun, born in 1975, is considered an experienced politician and belongs to the party's young generation of leaders. He was a MP for five terms and joined the cabinet when Pheu Thai formed a government in 2023 under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Internally, he is considered to be capable of modernising, refreshing the party's image, and preparing for the next general election./.
Thailand’s former PM steps down as Pheu Thai leader
Paetongtarn Shinawatra described the decision as the first step in carrying out a strategic reform unveiled on October 7, aimed at creating a "complete, perfect new party” with a new and courageous vision for genuine change for the people.