Biography
Thaksin Shinawatra was born on July 26, 1949, in San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai Province, into a wealthy Chinese-Thai family with strong business interests in northern Thailand. His father, Lert Shinawatra, made a lot of money from silk trading and other business ventures. After finishing primary school in Chiang Mai, Thaksin moved to Bangkok for preparatory school before joining the Royal Police Cadet Academy in 1969.
After graduating from the police academy in 1973, Thaksin started working as a police officer while continuing his education. He got a master's degree in criminal justice from Eastern Kentucky University in the U.S. in 1975, and then a doctorate in the same field from Sam Houston State University in Texas in 1978. When he returned to Thailand, he briefly worked as a lecturer at the Police Cadet Academy before moving into the private sector in the early 1980s.
Thaksin's business success began with computer rentals and expanded into telecommunications. In 1990, he founded Advanced Info Service (AIS), which became Thailand's largest mobile phone operator. His company, Shin Corporation, grew into a telecommunications giant, including satellite services, television broadcasting, and internet services, making him one of the richest individuals in Thailand with a fortune in the billions.
He entered politics in the late 1990s, founding the Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) Party in 1998 and leading it to an election win in 2001. As Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006, he implemented policies like universal healthcare, village development funds, and debt relief for farmers. He also pushed strong anti-drug campaigns and tackled the southern insurgency. However, his time in office was filled with political division, accusations of corruption, and clashes with traditional elites and the monarchy.
On September 19, 2006, while he was attending the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Thaksin was ousted from power in a military coup led by General Sondhi Boonyaratglin. After being convicted on corruption charges in his absence, he has lived in self-imposed exile, mostly in Dubai and London, but has continued to influence Thai politics through various channels and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra, who later became Prime Minister herself until she was removed by a military coup in 2014.
Before Fame
Thaksin was born into a wealthy Chinese-Thai merchant family in northern Thailand during a time of rapid modernization under military rule. His family's wealth gave him educational opportunities that were uncommon for most Thais of his generation, including studying in the United States in the 1970s.
His rise to prominence aligned with Thailand's shift from an agricultural society to a modern economy. The telecommunications boom of the 1980s and 1990s offered great opportunities for entrepreneurs with the resources and foresight to take advantage of new technologies. Thaksin's move from police officer to businessman happened during Thailand's economic boom, when deregulation and privatization opened new areas for private investment.
Key Achievements
- Built Shin Corporation into Thailand's largest telecommunications conglomerate and became the country's first telecommunications billionaire
- Won the 2001 Thai general election with the largest mandate in the country's democratic history
- Implemented universal healthcare coverage through the 30-baht scheme, providing medical access to millions of rural Thais
- Established the One Tambon One Product (OTOP) program to promote local entrepreneurship and village-level economic development
- Transformed Thai Rak Thai into the country's most successful political party, winning consecutive electoral victories in 2001 and 2005
Did You Know?
- 01.He was a goalkeeper for the Thailand national football team in his youth and remained passionate about the sport throughout his life, later owning Manchester City Football Club from 2007 to 2008
- 02.His doctoral dissertation at Sam Houston State University was titled 'The Role of the Police in the Prevention of Crime in Relation to the Factors of Criminal Causation'
- 03.He introduced the '30-baht healthcare scheme' which allowed any Thai citizen to receive medical treatment for just 30 baht (less than one US dollar) per visit
- 04.Shin Corporation's satellites were named after his children: Thaicom 1 was nicknamed 'Panthongtae' and Thaicom 2 was called 'Pinthongta'
- 05.He was the first Thai Prime Minister to complete a full four-year term and win re-election with an absolute majority