Thailand’s young prime minister, 38-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra, in power since August 2024, is a wealthy woman. Forced by law to declare her assets to the National Anti-Corruption Commission, the head of government’s fortune has just been officially quantified: 13.84 billion baht, or around €390 million. In a country where political prevarication is as old as the Kingdom of Siam, such transparency is commendable.
In addition to land in Thailand and properties in London and Japan – which is hardly surprising – the tidy sum includes some more surprising assets. Not so much because of their intrinsic value or the relevance of the prime minister’s choices, but rather because of their quantity. The list of possessions includes no less than 217 luxury bags (worth over €2 million), 75 watches valued at €5 million, and, above all, 23 luxury cars, including a Rolls-Royce and a Bentley worth €300,000.
Shinawatra’s wealth isn’t all that surprising either if you put it in the context of Thailand’s political scene, which includes many of the richest people in the most unequal country in the East Asia-Pacific region. Several of the ministers in her government are among the richest in Parliament, which includes many millionaires.
You have 53.29% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
