Nuttaphong Kunakornwong ณ ั ฐ พ ง ศ ์ คณ า ก ร ว ง ศ ์) Nominated as the prime minister candidate of the Pheu Thai party. Natapong is the CEO of SC Asset, a Thai real estate company, and the son-in-law of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the brother-in-law of former Thai Prime Minister Petongtan. With Thaksin in prison and Petongtan facing a number of lawsuits, he has now officially become the prime minister candidate of the Thai Party, continuing the political incense of the Shinawatra family. His candidacy is seen as a strategic move to perpetuate the Shinawatra family's political influence and legacy in the Pheu Thai leadership.
The latest news for the Pheu Thai Party, naming the son-in-law of the former prime minister, the son-in-law of SC Asset, Natasha Pong, as one of the prime candidates for the party’s next general election, is seen as a key step in continuing the political influence of the Sinai family and is also interpreted as a “political test” to test public opinion.
Family background and growth experience
Nataporn was born in 1980 to Vorawi Kunakongwang and Anchali Kunakongwang. The family runs a clothing export business in Bangkok's Watergate area "Sin Rung Rueng Garment". He received a bachelor's degree in architecture from Chulalongkorn University, then went to DePaul University in Chicago, USA for further study, obtained a master's degree in business administration, and continued his real estate courses at Chulalongkorn University. It was at this stage that he met Pinthongta Shinawatra, the eldest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. They married in 2011 and now have three children.
Career and Business Map
After marriage, Natapong entered the real estate industry. He has been engaged in real estate development and investment at Areeya Property and Nexus Property successively, and invested in hotel projects in Watergate under the leadership of his family. The turning point of his career came when he joined SC Asset, a company controlled by the Shinawatra family, and gradually promoted to CEO and Vice Chairman. Currently, he is responsible for diversified projects such as residences and apartments, and is committed to transforming the company into a "living solutions provider".
Though Natasha is not the largest shareholder of SC Asset (the company’s major shareholder is Pintota and her sister Pintota, holding 28.83% and 27.90% respectively), his management role has played an important role in driving the company’s development and has gradually made it a key figure in the Sinava family’s business and political chart.
Political significance and limitation
In the political sphere, Natasha is still a "new man".He has neither parliamentary experience nor a position in the government system.But supporters believe that his business mind and economic management skills match the economic challenges facing Thailand today and can inject a "new face" and "professional perspective" to the Thai Party.
However, critical voices also exist. The outside world questioned him only as a symbol of the "continuation of family power" and lacked independent political qualifications. This situation of "combination of advantages and disadvantages" makes its political prospects full of uncertainty.
Strategic Considerations for the Thai Party
Putan Vichayachai, the core figure of the Thai Party, deputy prime minister and interior minister, said recently that Natapong will become the candidate for the next prime minister of the party. He even described the potential candidate as "smart and handsome", and despite his light words, he revealed the party's plan.
At the same time, Thaksin's ex-wife, Kunying Pogaman, recently appeared at the headquarters of the Thai Party, encouraging parliamentarians to "continue fighting", which attracted the attention of the outside world. Analysts believe that this move shows that the Shinawatra family still has the right to speak in the party, and the election of Natapong is a powerful signal to continue the family's political heritage.
Political background and challenges
Against the backdrop of Petongtan being removed from office due to a Constitutional Court ruling and Thaksin himself being jailed for another year due to judicial problems, the Pheu Thai party has fallen into a trough. At this time, the appearance of Natapong was regarded as an attempt to regroup for the Thai Party. Analysts pointed out that this is not only a test of public acceptance, but also related to whether family politics can find legalization and continuation in the new generation.
On the other hand, the current Prime Minister of Thailand, Anutin, relies on the agreement with the opposition People's Party to stabilize the regime, but faces pressure because of the lack of broad popular support.
Outlook for Thailand's political outlook
As the 2026 general election approaches, whether or not Mr. Netanyahu will be able to go to the polls will be an important test to test whether the party is able to balance between “family politics” and “popular calls.”
Regardless of the outcome, Natasha’s name has been officially pushed to Thailand’s political forefront, symbolizing the Sinava family still shaping Thailand’s future political direction, and marking a new corner stage in Thailand’s politics.
It must be said that Thailand's politics in recent years can be called wind shift, self-government after the downturn of the regime change quite frequently, but at the moment, has not seen the obvious negative impact of the Thai economy, society is still stable, and the people live happily.
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