Who was the first prime minister of Thailand?

Phraya Manopakorn Nititada became the first head of Thailand’s constitutional government on 28 June 1932, four days after the revolution that ended absolute monarchy.

How many prime ministers has Thailand had?

Thailand has had 32 officially numbered prime ministers since 1932. The total number of governments and terms is higher because six people returned for later administrations.

Who was Thailand’s first woman prime minister?

Yingluck Shinawatra became Thailand’s first woman prime minister in August 2011 after Pheu Thai won a clear House majority.

Who was Thailand’s longest-serving prime minister?

Plaek Phibunsongkhram served the longest in total across two separated periods, from 1938 to 1944 and again from 1948 to 1957.

Why is Anutin still called the 32nd prime minister after returning in 2026?

Thailand numbers unique people, not separate terms. Anutin’s March 2026 reappointment began a second administration but did not create a new numbered officeholder.

Does Thailand elect its prime minister directly?

No. Voters elect the House of Representatives, and the House approves a prime ministerial candidate under the Constitution. The King then makes the formal appointment.

Prime Ministers of Thailand: Complete List and Timeline

By Biography Compass Editorial TeamPublished 3 October 2026

The short answer

Thailand has had 32 officially numbered prime ministers since constitutional government began in 1932. The sequence includes elected coalition leaders, military rulers, post-coup appointees, interim civilians and premiers selected after court-created vacancies. Anutin Charnvirakul is the current officeholder and retained number 32 when he began a second term in March 2026.

Complete officeholder table

All 32 Thai prime ministers in official order

Thailand numbers people, not separate administrations. A returning officeholder therefore keeps the same number: Plaek Phibunsongkhram, Khuang Aphaiwong, Seni Pramoj, Thanom Kittikachorn, Anand Panyarachun and Chuan Leekpai each appear once below even though they led more than one government. Acting caretakers are discussed separately because the official government directory does not assign them a new number.

The 32 officially numbered prime ministers of Thailand, from 1932 to the present
Prime minister	No.	Term(s)	Government path
Phraya Manopakorn Nititada	1	Jun 1932–Jun 1933	Chosen under the new constitutional order
Phraya Phahonphonphayuhasena	2	Jun 1933–Dec 1938	Led the June 1933 coup; received appointment
Plaek Phibunsongkhram	3	Dec 1938–Aug 1944; Apr 1948–Sep 1957	Assembly choice; returned after the 1947 coup
Khuang Aphaiwong	4	Aug 1944–Aug 1945; Jan–Mar 1946; Nov 1947–Apr 1948	Assembly choices; returned after the 1947 coup
Tawee Boonyaket	5	31 Aug–17 Sep 1945	House selection
Seni Pramoj	6	Sep 1945–Jan 1946; Feb–Mar 1975; Apr–Oct 1976	House and coalition selections
Pridi Banomyong	7	Mar–Aug 1946	House selection
Thawan Thamrongnawasawat	8	Aug 1946–Nov 1947	House selection; removed by coup
Pote Sarasin	9	Sep–Dec 1957	Appointed after the September 1957 coup
Thanom Kittikachorn	10	Jan–Oct 1958; Dec 1963–Oct 1973	Military-backed appointment; later succeeded Sarit
Sarit Thanarat	11	Feb 1959–Dec 1963	Coup leader and military ruler
Sanya Dharmasakti	12	Oct 1973–Feb 1975	Appointed after the October uprising
Kukrit Pramoj	13	Mar 1975–Apr 1976	House coalition
Thanin Kraivichien	14	Oct 1976–Oct 1977	Appointed after the October 1976 coup
Kriangsak Chamanan	15	Nov 1977–Mar 1980	Appointed after the October 1977 coup
Prem Tinsulanonda	16	Mar 1980–Aug 1988	Parliamentary coalition support
Chatichai Choonhavan	17	Aug 1988–Feb 1991	Elected House coalition; removed by coup
Anand Panyarachun	18	Mar 1991–Apr 1992; Jun–Sep 1992	Post-coup appointment; interim return after Black May
Suchinda Kraprayoon	19	Apr–May 1992	Parliamentary selection after coup-era election
Chuan Leekpai	20	Sep 1992–Jul 1995; Nov 1997–Feb 2001	House coalitions
Banharn Silpa-archa	21	Jul 1995–Nov 1996	House coalition
Chavalit Yongchaiyudh	22	Nov 1996–Nov 1997	House coalition
Thaksin Shinawatra	23	Feb 2001–Sep 2006	Election victories; removed by coup
Surayud Chulanont	24	Oct 2006–Jan 2008	Appointed after the September 2006 coup
Samak Sundaravej	25	Jan–Sep 2008	House selection; removed by court
Somchai Wongsawat	26	Sep–Dec 2008	House selection; removed by court ruling
Abhisit Vejjajiva	27	Dec 2008–Aug 2011	House coalition vote
Yingluck Shinawatra	28	Aug 2011–May 2014	Election majority; removed by court
Prayut Chan-o-cha	29	Aug 2014–Sep 2023	Post-coup legislature; later parliamentary vote
Srettha Thavisin	30	Aug 2023–Aug 2024	House vote; removed by court
Paetongtarn Shinawatra	31	Aug 2024–Aug 2025	House vote; removed by court
Anutin Charnvirakul	32	Sep 2025–present; reappointed Mar 2026	House votes before and after the 2026 election

Chronology

A timeline of the turning points

28 Jun 1932
Manopakorn becomes the first prime minister
Four days after the People’s Party ended absolute monarchy, the new constitutional system installed Phraya Manopakorn Nititada as president of the People’s Committee, the office later called prime minister.
20–21 Jun 1933
The first coup changes the premiership
Phraya Phahon led a military intervention that removed Manopakorn and established a pattern in which force repeatedly reshaped constitutional government.
1938–1957
Phibun leads two separated eras
Plaek Phibunsongkhram governed before and during most of the Second World War, then returned in 1948 after another military realignment.
1944–1948
Short civilian governments follow the war
Khuang, Tawee, Seni, Pridi and Thawan led nine cabinets across four unsettled years before the armed forces restored Phibun.
1957–1973
Sarit and Thanom consolidate military rule
Coups, restricted parties, development policy, U.S. alliance and renewed royal visibility defined a long authoritarian period.
14 Oct 1973
Mass protest ends Thanom’s government
Student-led mobilisation and lethal clashes forced the ruling military group out and brought Sanya Dharmasakti into office.
1976–1988
Coups give way to Prem’s coalition era
The October 1976 and 1977 coups produced Thanin and Kriangsak before Prem combined military standing with parliamentary support for eight years.
May–Sep 1992
Black May forces another civilian transition
Protest and state violence ended Suchinda’s premiership; Anand returned temporarily and Chuan later formed an elected coalition.
2 Jul–9 Nov 1997
The Asian financial crisis changes government
The baht float and recession overwhelmed Chavalit’s coalition, and Chuan returned to lead the crisis response.
2001–2006
Thaksin builds a dominant electoral coalition
Thai Rak Thai won unprecedented mandates around national policy programmes before the military removed Thaksin’s government.
2006–2014
Votes, courts and coalitions produce six premiers
Surayud, Samak, Somchai, Abhisit and Yingluck followed one another through post-coup appointment, elections, party dissolution and judicial removal.
22 May–24 Aug 2014
Prayut moves from coup leader to prime minister
The army commander seized power in May and received appointment as prime minister from the junta-selected legislature in August.
2023–2025
Srettha and Paetongtarn each leave after court rulings
Pheu Thai returned to government in 2023, but Constitutional Court decisions ended two successive premierships in August 2024 and August 2025.
7 Sep 2025–19 Mar 2026
Anutin moves from minority premier to an electoral mandate
The House first selected Anutin after Paetongtarn’s removal, then approved him again after Bhumjaithai won the largest number of seats in the February 2026 election.

When was the office of prime minister created?

The premiership began with the constitutional revolution of 24 June 1932. The People’s Party ended absolute monarchy and created a cabinet responsible for administering the state under a written constitution. On 28 June, Phraya Manopakorn Nititada became president of the People’s Committee; the title was later standardised as prime minister.

The new office did not settle where political power would reside. The elected and appointed assembly, military factions, senior officials, political parties, courts, palace and street movements have all shaped who could form or keep a government. A list of names therefore doubles as a chronology of Thailand’s unresolved contest over constitutional authority.

Why have several Thai prime ministers served more than once?

Thailand numbers individuals rather than administrations. Six officially numbered prime ministers returned after leaving office: Phibunsongkhram, Khuang Aphaiwong, Seni Pramoj, Thanom Kittikachorn, Anand Panyarachun and Chuan Leekpai. Each kept the number first assigned to that person, even when a later government followed a coup, election or national crisis.

This convention makes “32 prime ministers” different from “32 governments.” Thailand has had many more cabinets because reshuffles, resignations, elections and constitutional changes can end one council of ministers and begin another under the same prime minister. The table collapses repeated administrations into one row so it matches the government’s official personal sequence.

How have coups affected the premiership?

Military intervention began only a year after the 1932 revolution and became a recurring route to executive power. Coups directly removed governments in 1933, 1947, 1957, 1958, 1976, 1977, 1991, 2006 and 2014, while other unsuccessful attempts still changed political alignments. Some coup leaders became prime minister themselves; others installed civilian or retired-military figures.

Formal appointment after a coup did not erase the origin of the transition. Sarit, Thanom and Prayut exercised authority through military seizures before holding the prime-ministerial title, while Pote, Thanin, Kriangsak, Anand and Surayud entered office in political orders created by coups. The list therefore distinguishes an appointment’s legal form from the coercive event that made it possible.

When did elected coalition government become the norm?

Parliamentary selection existed from the first constitutional period, but controlled assemblies and military power repeatedly limited competition. From the late 1980s and especially after Black May in 1992, an elected lower-house mandate became a stronger public expectation. Chatichai, Chuan, Banharn and Chavalit each led multi-party coalitions, exposing both the legitimacy and instability of negotiated parliamentary government.

The 1997 Constitution strengthened parties and executive stability. Thaksin then built the first party to complete a full elected term and win re-election with an absolute majority. That concentration of electoral power generated ambitious national programmes as well as conflict over corruption, checks and balances and the relationship between majority rule and unelected institutions.

How have courts changed recent prime-ministerial succession?

Constitutional Court rulings ended Samak Sundaravej’s premiership in 2008, dissolved the ruling party during Somchai Wongsawat’s government later that year, removed Yingluck Shinawatra in 2014 and dismissed Srettha Thavisin in 2024. In August 2025, the Court ruled that Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s ministerial office had terminated following an ethics case arising from a leaked call with Cambodia’s Senate president.

These decisions applied different constitutional provisions, so they should not be treated as one identical mechanism. Together, however, they show that Thai succession cannot be understood from election results alone. Candidate eligibility, ministerial ethics, party-dissolution law and judicial review can all determine which parliamentary coalition receives the next opportunity to nominate a premier.

How is Thailand’s prime minister selected today?

Under sections 158 and 159 of the 2017 Constitution, the King appoints a prime minister approved by the House of Representatives. Political parties submit prime-ministerial candidates before an election, and the House normally chooses from those lists. A prime minister may hold office for no more than eight years in total, whether or not the service is consecutive.

A transitional rule allowed the military-appointed Senate to vote jointly with the House on premiers after the 2019 and 2023 elections, but that special role expired. The House alone selected Anutin in September 2025 and again in March 2026. That change matters when comparing the path to office of Prayut and Srettha with the latest parliamentary votes.

Who is the current prime minister of Thailand?

As reviewed on 3 October 2026, Anutin Charnvirakul is Thailand’s current and 32nd prime minister. The House first selected him in September 2025 after Paetongtarn’s removal. His minority government promised an early election, and the Bhumjaithai Party subsequently won the largest number of House seats in the 8 February 2026 poll.

The House approved Anutin for a second premiership on 19 March 2026. This did not make him the 33rd prime minister: official numbering follows unique individuals, so both administrations belong to the tenure of the 32nd officeholder. The latest status is checked against the Royal Thai Government’s current cabinet page and official prime-ministerial directory.

Continue the chronology

1851–present

Thailand History Timeline

Place every premiership inside royal reform, constitutional revolution, popular uprisings and modern electoral conflict.

Read the timelineForty-three biographies

Thai Political Turning Points

Compare prime ministers, monarchs, economists and reformers across the institutions that shaped modern Thai politics.

Read the timeline24 June 1932

The Siamese Revolution

See how the end of absolute monarchy created the constitutional system and first premiership.

Read the timeline1941–1945

The Free Thai Movement

Connect Phibun’s wartime government to Khuang, Seni, Pridi and the postwar cabinet transition.

Read the timeline8 November 1947

The 1947 Thai Coup

Follow Thawan’s removal, Khuang’s appointment and Phibun’s return to office in April 1948.

Read the timeline26–27 February 1949

The 1949 Palace Rebellion

Continue from Phibun’s return into Pridi’s failed counter-coup and permanent exile.

Read the timeline20 June 1968

The 1968 Constitution of Thailand

Examine the constitutional structure under which Thanom remained prime minister.

Read the timeline10 February 1969

The 1969 Thai General Election

Follow the election that returned Thanom to government without giving his party a House majority.

Read the timeline17 November 1971

Thanom’s 1971 Self-Coup

See how an incumbent premier abolished the constitutional institutions of his own government.

Read the timeline6–14 October 1973

The Thai Popular Uprising

Follow the mobilisation that ended Thanom’s government and brought Sanya into office.

Read the timeline7 October 1974

The 1974 Constitution of Thailand

Connect Sanya’s transition to the constitutional system inherited by Seni and Kukrit.

Read the timeline26 January 1975

The 1975 Thai General Election

Connect Sanya’s transition to Seni’s minority cabinet, Kukrit’s coalition and the 1976 return to the polls.

Read the timeline4 April 1976

The 1976 Thai General Election

Follow Seni’s return with a stronger Democrat plurality and broad coalition.

Read the timeline19 September 1976

Thanom’s Return to Thailand

Read the crisis that divided Seni’s cabinet and preceded the 6 October coup.

Read the timeline6 October 1976

The Thammasat Massacre

Connect the collapse of the democratic opening to the governments that followed.

Read the timeline20 October 1977

The 1977 Thai Coup

Follow Thanin’s removal, Kriangsak’s appointment and the controlled return to elections.

Read the timeline22 December 1978

The 1978 Constitution of Thailand

Read the framework that restored an elected House while preserving an appointed Senate and military influence.

Read the timeline22 April 1979

The 1979 Thai General Election

Follow the fragmented result through Kriangsak’s final government and Prem’s succession.

Read the timeline23 April 1980

Order 66/2523 and the Prem Era

Connect Prem’s accession to the political strategy that reshaped counterinsurgency and reintegration.

Read the timeline1–3 April 1981

The 1981 Young Turks Coup Attempt

See how Prem survived a military challenge and consolidated the coalition behind his premiership.

Read the timeline18 April 1983

The 1983 Thai General Election

Follow the constitutional confrontation and coalition that retained Prem outside party competition.

Read the timeline9 September 1985

The 1985 Thai Coup Attempt

Read the one-day military challenge that Prem survived while abroad.

Read the timeline27 July 1986

The 1986 Thai General Election

Connect the Democrat plurality to Prem’s final four-party government.

Read the timeline24 July 1988

The 1988 Thai General Election

Trace Prem’s decision to step aside and Chatichai’s elected succession.

Read the timeline23 February 1991

The 1991 Thai Coup

Connect Chatichai’s removal to Anand’s interim cabinet, Suchinda’s succession and Black May.

Read the timeline22 March 1992

The March 1992 Thai General Election

Connect the post-coup House result to Suchinda’s unelected premiership.

Read the timeline17–20 May 1992

Black May 1992

Follow the protest crisis that ended Suchinda’s premiership and returned Anand temporarily.

Read the timeline13 September 1992

The September 1992 Thai General Election

Follow Chuan’s election victory and 207-seat civilian coalition.

Read the timeline2 July 1995

The 1995 Thai General Election

Trace Banharn’s Chart Thai victory and seven-party premiership.

Read the timeline17 November 1996

The 1996 Thai General Election

Read the narrow result that brought Chavalit to office.

Read the timeline11 October 1997

The 1997 Constitution of Thailand

See how reformers redesigned elections, oversight and government stability.

Read the timeline1997–1999

The Asian Financial Crisis in Thailand

Trace the economic shock that ended Chavalit’s government and returned Chuan to the premiership.

Read the timeline6 January 2001

The 2001 Thai General Election

Follow Chuan’s defeat, Thai Rak Thai’s breakthrough and Thaksin’s election as prime minister.

Read the timeline2001–2005

Thaksin’s First Government

Connect the premiership to universal coverage, village funds, growth and rights controversies.

Read the timeline6 February 2005

The 2005 Thai General Election

Read the result that gave Thaksin a second term and a 377-seat single-party majority.

Read the timeline19 September 2006

The 2006 Thai Coup

Follow the removal of Thaksin, appointment of Surayud and post-coup constitutional transition.

Read the timelineJanuary–December 2008

The 2008 Thai Political Crisis

Connect the Samak and Somchai governments to court rulings, protest occupations and Abhisit’s coalition.

Read the timelineMarch–May 2010

The 2010 Thai Red Shirt Protests

Examine the conflict that defined Abhisit’s premiership and shaped the 2011 election.

Read the timelineNovember 2013–May 2014

The 2013–2014 Thai Political Crisis

Connect Yingluck’s caretaker government to protest, election breakdown and institutional deadlock.

Read the timeline7 May 2014

Yingluck Shinawatra’s Removal

Examine the constitutional ruling that ended her ministerial office and removed nine other ministers.

Read the timeline22 May 2014

The 2014 Thai Coup

Connect Yingluck’s court removal, the caretaker cabinet and Prayut’s military takeover.

Read the timeline24 March 2019

The 2019 Thai General Election

Connect the first post-coup House election and joint parliamentary vote to Prayut’s civilian premiership.

Read the timeline14 May 2023

The 2023 Thai General Election

Connect Prayut’s outgoing government, Pita’s failed vote and Srettha’s coalition premiership.

Read the timeline8 February 2026

The 2026 Thai General Election

Connect Bhumjaithai’s first-place result and coalition majority to Anutin’s second appointment.

Read the timeline

Connected biographies

Prime Ministers of Thailand: 1932–Present