By Abiola Olawale
Thailand’s Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has declared assets worth more than $400 million, which include a significant collection of luxury items.
Among these are over 200 designer handbags valued at more than $2 million and at least 75 luxury watches worth nearly $5 million.
This declaration was made as part of the legal requirements for Thai public officials to disclose their assets and liabilities to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who took office in September, is the youngest daughter of telecom billionaire and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Her asset declaration also includes investments, cash, deposits, and properties in various locations, such as London and Japan.
According to the information disclosed, her net worth stands at around 8.9 billion baht ($258 million) United States dollars, after accounting for her liabilities.
The New Diplomat reports that Paetongtarn Shinawatra serves as the 31st Prime Minister of Thailand, having assumed the role in August 2024.
She is the youngest daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, a former prime minister of Thailand, and the niece of Yingluck Shinawatra, who also served as prime minister.
This makes her the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold the office.
She was born on August 21, 1986, in Bangkok. She studied political science at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand and later pursued a Master’s degree in International Hotel Management at the University of Surrey in England.
She joined the Pheu Thai Party in 2021, becoming a central figure in the party’s political strategy. She was elected as the party’s leader in October 2023 and was a key figure in the election campaign of 2023.
Her party secured the second-highest number of seats in the House of Representatives but formed a coalition government after the election’s leading party was unable to form a government due to military and conservative opposition.
