Sunday, November 11, 2012

Love & Politics: Shinawatra-Suwannathat

About a week ago, local media were quick to pick up on the story of the budding "personal relationship" between "Oak" Panthongtae Shinawatra, Thaksin's son, and "Jub Jeep" Palida Suwannathat, daughter of Gen. Prin Suwannathat. According to Prin, "Now, my daughter Jub Jeep - Palida Suwannathat is in a relationship with Panthongtae Shinawatra - son of the former PM."
“ตอนนี้ลูกสาวของตนเองซึ่งนั่นก็คือ น้องจุ๊บจิ๊บ-น.ส.ปาลิตาสุวรรณทัตกำลังคบหาดูใจกับนายพานทองแท้ชินวัตรบุตรชายคนโตของอดีตนายกรัฐมนตรี” 
In the late October cabinet reshuffle, Yingluck appointed Prin to the post of Deputy Transport Minister. He previously served as a Chief of Staff and Aide-De-Camp to Defense Minister Sukhumpol Suwannathat before his government retirement in September. 

Perhaps more importantly, Prin graduated from pre-cadet Class 10 alongside Thaksin and served as a commander in the "Wong Thewan" - 1st Infantry Division of the King's Guard - a key division within the army. In 2005, before the coup, Prin criticized PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul for using the monarchy to attack the government and sent a letter to Sondhi's The Manager expressing this view. 

Prin is a distant relative of Defense Minister Sukumpol Suwannathat. Prin's father Tuanthong once held the position of Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defense.

As for the couple, Jub Jeep studied economics at Chulalongkorn University and Cardiff Business School. She has worked at Price Waterhouse Copper and as a financial advisor to state-owned PTT. Prin, in fact, was an Independent Director at PTT before taking up his cabinet post as well as a Director at Aeronautical Radio of Thailand. 

Panthongtae is, well, the son of Thaksin Shinawatra. He is quite active in the political scene and at Voice TV. 



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