In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 21 June 1967
- Birthplace
- San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Country
- Thailand
- Nationality
- Thai
- Known for
- Becoming Thailand’s first woman prime minister
- Office
- Prime Minister, 2011–2014
- Historic first
- First woman prime minister of Thailand
- Political party
- Pheu Thai Party
- Earlier career
- Telecommunications and property executive
Why this life matters
Yingluck’s premiership combined a historic breakthrough for women with redistributive policy, mass protest and another decisive institutional rupture in Thai politics.
Timeline
Key moments
Born in Chiang Mai
Born in San Kamphaeng on 21 June.
Won a landslide election
Led Pheu Thai to victory and became the first woman prime minister.
Removed from office
The Constitutional Court ruled that an official transfer had been unlawful.
Left before the verdict
Departed Thailand before a negligence ruling linked to the rice scheme.
From business to government
Yingluck worked in telecommunications and property management before entering electoral politics in 2011. Pheu Thai selected her as its prime-ministerial candidate only weeks before the election.
The party won a clear majority. Her appointment marked a national first for women and returned a Thaksin-aligned party to government.
Policy and political crisis
Her administration pursued wage, infrastructure and rice-purchasing policies. The rice programme became both a signature rural policy and the focus of disputes over cost, administration and accountability.
After months of protest, the Constitutional Court removed Yingluck in May 2014. She later left Thailand before a 2017 verdict, closing a premiership that illustrates the continuing struggle between electoral mandates and unelected institutions.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Yingluck Shinawatra
- Who is Yingluck Shinawatra?
- Yingluck Shinawatra is a business executive and former prime minister. Yingluck’s premiership combined a historic breakthrough for women with redistributive policy, mass protest and another decisive institutional rupture in Thai politics.
- What is Yingluck Shinawatra best known for?
- Yingluck Shinawatra is best known for becoming Thailand’s first woman prime minister.
- When and where was Yingluck Shinawatra born?
- Yingluck Shinawatra was born on 21 June 1967 in San Kamphaeng, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Sources and further reading
How this biography was checked
Core dates and offices are checked against the sources below. This profile was last reviewed on 8 September 2026.
