Thailand’s new Prime Minister | Anutin, a descendant of Guangdong, learns to fly a plane and play saxophone in Cantonese at home
Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of Thailand’s second-largest opposition party, Pheu Thai, easily secured a majority in parliament on the 5th, becoming the country’s next prime minister. A 58-year-old veteran of Thai politics, Anutin has served in various positions, including deputy prime minister. A Cantonese descendant, he goes by the Chinese name Chen Xiyao. He speaks Cantonese at home and is also a saxophone player who can fly airplanes.
Anutin, a major shareholder in Thailand’s largest construction company
, comes from a family of politicians and businessmen. Over decades of political upheaval, he has served as Minister of Health, Minister of the Interior, and Deputy Prime Minister.
Anutin is a pure Cantonese descendant, and his Chinese name is Chen Xiyao. In a 2023 CCTV interview, he revealed that his ancestors were from Guangzhou, and his parents were also Cantonese-Chinese. Although he was born in Thailand, he was deeply influenced by Thai and Chinese culture. “I am also 100% Chinese. My parents, grandparents, and grandparents are all from China. I was born in Thailand, I have a Chinese name (Chen Xiyao), and Cantonese is spoken every day at home.”
Anutin, who loves to “street-walk” and eat snacks,
comes from a very wealthy family. He has always presented himself as a friendly person in Thailand. He often shares his daily life in T-shirts and shorts, cooking with a spatula, and “street-walking” and eating snacks in Thailand on social platforms.
In addition, Anutin is proficient in music. He is a saxophone player and also knows how to play the piano. He loves to share his playing of Thai pop songs from the 1980s on social media.
Anutin was once an official of Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai Party. However, after the party was dissolved in 2007, he was banned from politics for five years. During this time, Anutin used his free time during the pause in his political career to learn to fly and subsequently acquired several private jets. These aircraft were not only used for personal purposes, but were also used to transport patients to the hospital and to transport donated organs.