Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is expected to reveal her cabinet ministers shortly, just in time for the new government’s first major event–the Queen’s birthday on August 12. Amid rumours that her brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin, was pulling the strings behind the scenes, Yingluck declared, “My cabinet is made in Thailand.”

Right up to the last minute, horse-trading for a post in the cabinet was taking place. Yingluck still remains tight-lipped over her cabinet choices. However, the unofficial list has been leaked to the media; there are altogether 35 ministers for 38 cabinet posts.

  1. р╕г.р╕Х.р╕н.р╣Ар╕Йр╕ер╕┤р╕б р╕нр╕вр╕╣р╣Ир╕Ър╕│р╕гр╕╕р╕З (Chalerm Yoobamrung: Deputy Prime Minister)
  2. р╕Юр╕е.р╕Х.р╕н.р╣Вр╕Бр╕зр╕┤р╕Ч р╕зр╕▒р╕Тр╕Щр╕░ (Kowit Wattana: Deputy Prime Minister)
  3. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕вр╕Зр╕вр╕╕р╕Чр╕Ш р╕зр╕┤р╕Кр╕▒р╕вр╕Фр╕┤р╕йр╕Р (Yongyuth Wichaidit: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior)
  4. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Кр╕╣р╕Кр╕▓р╕Хр╕┤ р╕лр╕▓р╕Нр╕кр╕зр╕▒р╕кр╕Фр╕┤р╣М (Chuchart Hansawat: Deputy Interior Minister)
  5. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Рр╕▓р╕Щр╕┤р╕кр╕гр╣М р╣Ар╕Чр╕╡р╕вр╕Щр╕Чр╕нр╕З (Thanis Thienthong: Deputy Interior Minister)
  6. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Бр╕┤р╕Хр╕Хр╕┤р╕гр╕▒р╕Хр╕Щр╣М р╕У р╕гр╕░р╕Щр╕нр╕З (Kittiratt Na Ranong: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce)
  7. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕ар╕╣р╕бр╕┤ р╕кр╕▓р╕гр╕░р╕Ьр╕е (Bhumi Saraphol: Deputy Commerce Minister)
  8. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕ир╕┤р╕гр╕┤р╕зр╕▒р╕Тр╕Щр╣М р╕Вр╕Ир╕гр╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕ир╕▓р╕кр╕Щр╣М (Siriwat Kachornprasart: Deputy Commerce Minister)
  9. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Кр╕╕р╕бр╕Юр╕е р╕ир╕┤р╕ер╕Ыр╕нр╕▓р╕Кр╕▓ (Chumphol Silpa-archa: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Sports)
  10. р╕Щр╕Ю.р╕кр╕╕р╕гр╕зр╕┤р╕Чр╕вр╣М р╕Др╕Щр╕кр╕бр╕Ър╕╣р╕гр╕Ур╣М (Surawit Khonsomboon: Minister of Prime Minister’s Office)
  11. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Щр╕┤р╕зр╕▒р╕Хр╕Шр╕│р╕гр╕З р╕Ър╕╕р╕Нр╕Чр╕гр╕Зр╣Др╕Юр╕ир╕▓р╕е (Niwatthamrong Boonsongpaisan: Minister of Prime Minister’s Office)
  12. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Шр╕╡р╕гр╕░р╕Кр╕▒р╕в р╕ар╕╣р╕зр╕Щр╕▓р╕Цр╕Щр╕гр╕▓р╕Щр╕╕р╕Ър╕▓р╕е (Thirachai Bhuwanatnaranuban: Minister of Finance)
  13. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Ър╕╕р╕Нр╕Чр╕гр╕З р╣Ар╕Хр╕гр╕┤р╕вр╕▓р╕ар╕┤р╕гр╕бр╕вр╣М (Boonsong Theriyapirom: Deputy Finance Minister)
  14. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕зр╕┤р╕гр╕╕р╕м р╣Ар╕Хр╕Кр╕░р╣Др╕Юр╕Ър╕╣р╕ер╕вр╣М (Wirun Techapaiboon: Deputy Finance Minister)
  15. р╕Юр╕е.р╕н.р╕вр╕╕р╕Чр╕Шр╕ир╕▒р╕Бр╕Фр╕┤р╣М р╕ир╕ир╕┤р╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕ар╕▓ (Yuthasak Sasiprapha: Minister of Defence)
  16. р╕Юр╕е.р╕н.р╕н.р╕кр╕╕р╕Бр╕│р╕Юр╕е р╕кр╕╕р╕зр╕гр╕гр╕Ур╕Чр╕▒р╕Х (Sukhamphol Suwannathat: Minister of Transport)
  17. р╕Юр╕е.р╕Х.р╕Ч.р╕Кр╕▒р╕Ир╕Ир╣М р╕Бр╕╕р╕ер╕Фр╕┤р╕ер╕Б (Chaj Kuladilok: Deputy Transport Minister)
  18. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Бр╕┤р╕Хр╕Хр╕┤р╕ир╕▒р╕Бр╕Фр╕┤р╣М р╕лр╕▒р╕Хр╕Цр╕кр╕Зр╣Ар╕Др╕гр╕▓р╕░р╕лр╣М (Kittisak Hathasongkroh: Deputy Transport Minister)
  19. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕кр╕╕р╕гр╕Юр╕Зр╕йр╣М р╣Вр╕Хр╕зр╕┤р╕Ир╕▒р╕Бр╕Вр╣Мр╕Кр╕▒р╕вр╕Бр╕╕р╕е р╕Фр╕│р╕гр╕Зр╕Хр╕│р╣Бр╕лр╕Щр╣Ир╕З (Surapong Tovichakchaikul: Minister of Foreign Affairs)
  20. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╣Бр╕Юр╕Чр╕вр╣Мр╕зр╕гр╕гр╕Ур╕гр╕▒р╕Хр╕Щр╣М р╕Кр╕▓р╕Нр╕Щр╕╕р╕Бр╕╣р╕е (Wannarat Charnnukul: Minister of Industry)
  21. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Юр╕┤р╕Кр╕▒р╕в р╕Щр╕гр╕┤р╕Юр╕Чр╕░р╕Юр╕▒р╕Щр╕Шр╣М (Pichai Naripthaphan: Minister of Energy)
  22. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕зр╕гр╕зр╕▒р╕Ир╕Щр╣М р╣Ар╕нр╕╖р╣Йр╕нр╕нр╕ар╕┤р╕Нр╕Нр╕Бр╕╕р╕е (Vorawat Uea-apinyakul: Minister of Education)
  23. р╕Щр╕▓р╕Зр╕Ър╕╕р╕Нр╕гр╕╖р╣Ир╕Щ р╕ир╕гр╕╡р╕Шр╣Ар╕гр╕и (Boonruen Srithares: Deputy Education Minister)
  24. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕кр╕╕р╕гр╕Юр╕Зр╕йр╣М р╕нр╕╢р╣Йр╕Зр╕нр╕│р╕Юр╕гр╕зр╕┤р╣Др╕е (Surapong Ungampornvilai: Deputy Education Minister)
  25. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕зр╕┤р╕Чр╕вр╕▓ р╕Ър╕╣р╕гр╕Ур╕ир╕┤р╕гр╕┤ (Witthaya Buranasiri: Minister of Public Health)
  26. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Хр╣Ир╕нр╕Юр╕Зр╕йр╣М р╣Др╕Кр╕вр╕кр╕▓р╕кр╣Мр╕Щ (Torpong Chaiyasarn: Deputy Public Health Minister)
  27. р╕Щр╕▓р╕зр╕▓р╕нр╕▓р╕Бр╕▓р╕ир╣Ар╕нр╕Бр╕нр╕Щр╕╕р╕Фр╕┤р╕йр╕Рр╣М р╕Щр╕▓р╕Др╕гр╕Чр╕гр╕гр╕Ю (Anudit Nakorntap: Minister of Information and Communication Technology)
  28. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Ыр╕гр╕╡р╕Кр╕▓ р╣Ар╕гр╣Ир╕Зр╕кр╕бр╕Ър╕╣р╕гр╕Ур╣Мр╕кр╕╕р╕В (Preecha Rengsomboonsuk: Minister of Natural Resources and Environment)
  29. р╕Щр╕▓р╕Зр╕кр╕╕р╕Бр╕╕р╕бр╕е р╕Др╕╕р╕Ур╕Ыр╕ер╕╖р╣Йр╕б (Sukumol Khunpleum: Minister of Culture)
  30. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕кр╕▒р╕Щр╕Хр╕┤ р╕Юр╕гр╣Йр╕нр╕бр╕Юр╕▒р╕Тр╕Щр╣М (Santi Prompong: Minister of Social Development and Human Security
  31. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Шр╕╡р╕гр╕░ р╕зр╕Зр╕ир╣Мр╕кр╕бр╕╕р╕Чр╕г (Theera Wongsamut: Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives)
  32. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Юр╕гр╕ир╕▒р╕Бр╕Фр╕┤р╣М р╣Ар╕Ир╕гр╕┤р╕Нр╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╣Ар╕кр╕гр╕┤р╕Р (Pornsak Charoenprasert: Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister)
  33. р╕Юр╕е.р╕Х.р╕н.р╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕Кр╕▓ р╕Юр╕гр╕лр╕бр╕Щр╕нр╕Б (Pracha Promnok: Minister of Justice)
  34. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╣Ар╕Ьр╕Фр╕┤р╕бр╕Кр╕▒р╕в р╕кр╕░р╕кр╕бр╕Чр╕гр╕▒р╕Юр╕вр╣М (Padeumchai Sasomsap: Minister of Labour)
  35. р╕Щр╕▓р╕вр╕Ыр╕ер╕нр╕Фр╕Ыр╕гр╕░р╕кр╕Ю р╕кр╕╕р╕гр╕▒р╕кр╕зр╕Фр╕╡ (Prodprasop Surasawadee: Minister of Science and Technology)

As shown above, Yingluck’s cabinet consists of veterans and new politicians with intimate ties with Thaksin (Note: New Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul is Thaksin’s cousin. His aunt, Sumalee Tovichakchaikul was married to Sathien Shinawatra who is Thaksin’s uncle), as well as eminent technocrats and those in the private sector, to reflect the Pheu Thai’s twin strategy of rewarding key patrons in the coalition and building a credible profile for the new government. Experienced outsiders, including former president of the Stock Exchange of Thailand Kittiratt Na Ranong (sorry, my earlier prediction of Kittiratt being appointed as Foreign Minister was wrong!), and Secretary-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission Thirachai Bhuwanatnaranuban, are well-known in the business community at home and on the global stage. Pheu Thai believes that the selection of such high-profile outsiders will enable the government to meet the demands of public sentiment, deemed fundamental for its endurance.

Thai society remains intensely polarised; Yingluck is required to appoint people who can tolerate different views and work with all parties as ministers in security-related posts, such as the deputy prime minister in charge of security issues, and at the interior (Yongyuth) and defence ministries (Yuthasak). A Pheu Thai source said, “Thaksin [not Yingluck? – my own assertion] wants those who can put up with criticism, who are certainly not ‘hard core’, as ministers who will not incite violence and destroy the atmosphere of reconciliation.”

Arranging a cabinet line-up has proven to be a challenging mission. Yingluck has faced immense pressure from factions in her own party and from other coalition partners. Some Pheu Thai MPs were infuriated by the appointment of outsiders, as this reduces their chance of attaining ministerial posts.

Meanwhile, the red-shirt supporters have claimed that the Pheu Thai rode on the wave of their powerful movement during the election campaign and were keen to see their leaders appointed in key ministerial positions. Having the red-shirt leaders in the cabinet would serve to symbolise the firm alliance between the movement and the Pheu Thai. But it could also taint the image of the government since the movement was in the past accused of using violent tactics to achieve its political agenda. As it turns out, as seen in the list, no red-shirt members are in the Yingluck government. Will this lead to strained ties between the red-shirt movement and Pheu Thai?