Prime Minister of Thailand Every prime minister since Manopakorn Nititada has been Buddhist. The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand must be a member of the House of Representatives. Therefore, the qualifications for the office of prime minister are the same as the qualifications for membership in the house. Prior to the coup d'état, to be appointed, the nominee for the office must have the support of one-fifth of the members of the House of Representatives. Then after a simple-majority vote in the house, a resolution will be passed and submitted to the king, who will then make a formal appointment by giving
Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan from Chulalongkorn University and is married to Boonphatcharee Boonsongpaisan. A close business associate of Thaksin Shinawatra, Niwatthamrong served as the Chairman of the Executive Committee-Media and Advertising front of Shin Corporation since 1995 and as Vice-Chairman since 2000. He served from 2001 to 2002 as Vice-Chairman of iTV and from 1993 to 1995, director of that company between 2002 and 2008, and a member of the board of directors between 2008 and 16 March 2010. Niwatthamrong served as director of the controversial rice pledging scheme, where rice was bought at inflated prices from farmers and subsequently was left to rot