❓ Content reviewed: “Oak Panthongtae” announces after visiting Thaksin: “Ready to be prime minister since birth.”
❌ Fact-check result: False content — an interview from seven years ago was taken out of context, and the remarks were distorted.
📝 Summary: On 21 Nov 2025, a member of the Facebook group “Kan Pak Yak Lao Khaosan Ban Mueang” posted a message stating: “Oak Panthongtae, declares!! ‘Ready to be prime minister since birth’ — the Shinawatras signal the continuation of power!!” The post claimed this was a political stance announcement by Panthongtae Shinawatra, son of Thaksin Shinawatra, following a visit to his father, who is being held in prison.
The post quoted Panthongtae as saying, “I’ve been ready since I was born as the son of Thaksin Shinawatra,” and that he was ready to “sit in the position of Thailand’s prime minister at any time if the party wants.” It also included an image of Panthongtae with embedded text reading: “Being born Thaksin’s son means you must be ready from birth. I’m ready to be Thailand’s 33rd prime minister.”
🔎 Cofact investigation: A review of interview records and media reports found that the post contains both factual and false elements, and that past remarks by Panthongtae were combined with current events to create a misunderstanding, as follows:
▪️ On 17 Nov 2025, Panthongtae and his younger sister, Pintongta Shinawatra Kunakornwong, did indeed visit their father at Klong Prem Central Prison. After the visit, both gave brief interviews to reporters who asked about their feelings regarding reports that the Attorney General was preparing to appeal a case in which Thaksin is a defendant under Section 112 of the Criminal Code. Panthongtae replied only briefly: “It’s quite disheartening, but we’re grateful for all the encouragement we’ve received.”
▪️ The statement “I’ve been ready since I knew I was born as Thaksin’s son” is a genuine quote from Panthongtae. Still, it came from an interview given on 5 Nov 2018—seven years ago—on the day the Central Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct Cases held a hearing to question defendants in a money laundering and corruption case related to Krung Thai Bank loans to the Krisdamanakorn Group.
On that day, reporters asked Panthongtae about rumors that he might become a leader of the Thai Save the Nation Party. He responded, “I still don’t have anything clear, but I support all parties that support democracy.” When asked whether he was ready to enter politics, he said, “Everything depends on the situation. Honestly, I’ve been ready since I knew I was born as Thaksin’s son. I’ve been ready from the start. For now, I’m just waiting for the right moment.”
📌 Cofact conclusion: This Facebook post misrepresented remarks Panthongtae made to journalists seven years ago about entering politics as statements about being a prime ministerial candidate, and falsely claimed that they were made after visiting his father at Klong Prem Central Prison.
The phrases “ready to be Thailand’s prime minister since birth,” “ready to take the position of Thailand’s prime minister at any time if the party wants,” and “I’m ready to be Thailand’s 33rd prime minister” are not Panthongtae’s words. They do not appear in either the interview given at Klong Prem Central Prison on 17 Nov 2025 or the interview given to reporters at the Criminal Court in 2018.
