The new Thai Prime Minister who replaced Pettontan, whose ancestral home is Jiangmen, Guangdong, China, please remember his Chinese name Chen Xiyao.
On September 5, the third generation of Cantonese native Chen Xiyao entered the Thai politics in the name of Anutin Charnvirakul and became the 32nd Prime Minister of Thailand.
Recalling his history of making a fortune, this is not only the pinnacle of the struggle of three generations of Chinese family in Southeast Asia, but also a political balance between monarchs, populism and reality.
【Three generations of Nanyang Road: From Jiangmen Liubao Village to Bangkok Power Center】
In the 1920s, Chen Yijun from Liubao Village, Luokeng Town, Xinhui District, Jiangmen, Guangdong embarked on the road to survival in a foreign country like countless Chinese people who went to Southeast Asia.
He defected to the owner of the Zhong rice mill in Thailand, started from the grassroots level, and after accumulating capital, he set up his own hardware store and gradually gained a foothold in Bangkok.
This first generation of Chinese did not stop doing business, but actively participated in overseas Chinese affairs, held an important position in the Guangzhao Association for a long time, participated in the establishment of public welfare institutions such as Guangzhao Hospital and Guangzhao Middle School, and became a prestigious leader among the Guangdong-born overseas Chinese in Thailand.
Chen Jingzhen (Thai name Wala Chanweilagong), son of Chen Yijun, was born in Bangkok, received Thai elite education and graduated from the Department of Economics, National Legislative and Political University. In 1962, he founded the "China-Thai Engineering and Construction Company" for 500,000 baht - the word "Zhong" in the name is the silent declaration of the family's blood.
The company started with metal processing and gradually developed into one of the largest construction contractors in Thailand. It has undertaken national-level projects such as Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Parliament Building, and has been successfully listed.
After the success of business, Chen Jingzhen entered the political arena, serving as Vice Minister of Finance, Minister of Health, Acting Prime Minister, and Minister of the Interior. He spans the business and politics circles and lays the foundation of the family's political foundation. He is now the lifelong honorary president of the Guangzhao Association of Thailand.
The third generation of Chen Xiyao (Thai name Anutin Chanweilagong), also known as the new Thai Prime Minister, was born in Bangkok in 1966. He grew up in a Cantonese family since childhood. He publicly emphasized: "My parents, grandparents, and grandparents are all from China, and I am 100% of the descendants of Chinese people." Daily communication at home is in Cantonese, and the values of Chinese culture - respect for ancestors, filial piety, and diligence - are deeply embedded in their personality background.
Despite receiving American engineering education (Bachelor of Industrial Engineering, Hofstra University, New York) and MBA training in Thailand, Chen Xiyao's identity has never wavered.
He is not only a "Chinese", but also a politician who actively declares "descendants of Chinese people". This identity has become the core asset of his future political narrative.
【From Thaksin's disciple to the royal flag bearer: a silent turn]
Chen Xiyao's political starting point is the same as the fourth generation of Hakka Thaksin (Chinese name: Qiu Daxin).
In 1996, he used his father Chavara's influence in politics to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an adviser, and then joined the Tay Ai Tai Party founded by Thaksin and became a member of Thaksin's early political team.
Since 2004, he has served as Deputy Minister of Health and Deputy Minister of Commerce, and is a technician within the Thaksin system.
However, in 2007, the Tai Ai Tai Party was dissolved by the Constitutional Court, and Chen Xiyao was subjected to a five-year political ban and was forced to withdraw from the power stage. This period of "exile" has become a watershed in its political transformation.
He turned to learning to fly, formed a private fleet of "Wingxin Rescue Team", transporting organs at his own expense and rescuing patients, and shaping the people-friendly image of the "life ferryman".
More importantly, he moved away from Thaksin's populist line and turned to a firm defender of conservatism and constitutional monarchy.
In 2012, he took over the Bhumjaithai Party, developing the "proud Thai" from a marginal small party to the third largest party in the parliament. The party is known as the "political chameleon", with no fixed ideology and only based on power.
Chen Xiyao led the party to cooperate with the Prayut government with military background and the Weitai Party of Thaksin family, and always held an important position in the vice prime minister.
But after the 2023 general election, he was elected by the Thai party, Petton Tan, the daughter of Thaksin, as prime minister. Although Chen Xiyao cooperated on the surface, he was actually secretly alienated.
The turning point occurred in the "call gate" incident in June 2025 - Petton was exposed to have a secret talk with former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, suspected of being unconstitutional. Anutin immediately led the Pride Party out of the ruling alliance and openly cut it off.
[Transitional Prime Minister under Trilateral Struggle: The Short-term Balance of Power]
On September 5, 2025, Chen Xiyao was elected as the 32nd Prime Minister of Thailand in the name of Anuting, but it is difficult to hide his "transitional figure".
The current Thai politics is in a three-way state:
First, the Thaksin family's Weitai Party represents Thaksin's political legacy and advocates moderate populist reforms, but loses the legitimacy of ruling due to the "call gate";
The second is that the People's Party, whose original name is Yuanjin Party, is composed of more radical young reformists. It advocates the amendment of the criminal law that symbolizes the supremacy of Thailand's imperial power, offending the monarch (Article 112). It was dissolved by the Constitutional Court last year and is now reborn from a backdoor and has become the largest opposition party;
The third is that the Pride Party led by Chen Xiyao is a pragmatic party that tends to be "royal" and has no clear ideology, and only puts power first.
The key reason why Chen Xiyao was able to rise to power lies in the support of the People's Party's "king-making" support. But this support comes with strict conditions: within four months, a constitutional amendment referendum must be promoted; and the parliament will be dissolved to pave the way for a new round of elections.
This means that the Anutin government is destined to be short-lived from its birth. He cannot form a majority government, and his governance will be subject to control everywhere. Thai political scientist Titinan pointed out: "Thailand has fallen into a 'election-crisis' cycle, and electing a new prime minister does not mean the end of turmoil."
The deeper contradiction is that the largest opposition party, the People's Party, pursues institutional reform, and the Pride Party is the beneficiary of the current system.
Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut's BJP led by Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut wanted to break the taboo of monarchy, but proudly held high the royal flag. This fundamental opposition destined to be fragile for interest alliances.
[Political prospects: The realistic calculations behind the Qianhua card]
Back to the character itself, Chen Xiyao, who came from a Chinese political and business family, has a clear path of governance: using "pro-China" as the main axis of diplomacy in exchange for economic dividends. He repeatedly emphasized that "China is Thailand's most important strategic partner", and delivered a speech in Chinese at the Harbin Asian Winter Conference to promote the implementation of the second phase of the China-Thailand Railway, all highlighting their intimate attitude towards China.
Chen Xiyao knows very well that playing the "Chinese card" can best touch the nerves of Chinese public opinion. He welcomed Chinese tourists at the airport and hung the banner of "China and Thailand One Family" which was a carefully designed political performance - not only satisfies national emotions but also serves national interests.
However, this pro-China route is not impeccable in Thailand. The Thai military and conservative forces have always been doubtful about "over-reliance on the Central Committee", and the People's Party's reformers are also wary of the expansion of China's influence.
【Conclusion: A Transition Symbol of an Era】
Chen Xiyao is not Hexin, nor is it Yingluck. He has no family-style political fanaticism, nor a revolutionary blueprint for reform. He is a calculating pragmatist, a politician who learns to fly under the ban, and a transitional prime minister who maintains Chinese identity in Cantonese and trades pro-China for resources.
His coming to power was not the beginning of change, but another self-repair of the old Thai order. The Thaksin family retreated behind the scenes, the military acquiesced to take over it, and the BJP took advantage of its transition - all forces reached a fragile balance in a brief compromise.
