Paetongtarn Shinawatra will be among the first young executives to study a new defence curriculum offered by the National Defence College (NDC), according to a military source.
The national defence curriculum for future executives, better known as the mini-NDC course, is designed for middle-level military personnel, civil servants and businesspeople, including internet influencers, actors and actresses. It is a key element in the military’s soft power push.
The course will begin next year for applicants aged 35–42 years, compared to the present NDC programme which is for executives aged 52–55. Places in the course are eagerly sought by people seeking to make contacts and advance their careers.
The source said the course is expected to foster connections among participants, even more than the NDC programme for executives because those aged in their 50s will soon retire.
He also said the mini-NDC programme aims at raising awareness about national security, enhancing critical analysis skills as well as developing leadership skills among members of the new generation.
Ms Paetongtarn, 37, registered with her close friends for the mini-NDC course, said the source, adding that the military expects she will come to understand more about the country’s defence mission.
However, the military has long been accused of using the NDC courses to promote a patronage culture, to the extent that Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin warned participants this year against networking for personal benefits.
When the NDC announced the new course, people also suggested it appeared tailor-made for people like Ms Paetongtarn.
The leader of the Pheu Thai Party and daughter of party patriarch Thaksin Shinawatra has been mentioned as a potential prime minister who could step in if Mr Srettha were to encounter political turbulence before the government’s four-year term is up.
Gen Songwit Noonphakdi, commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces, is said to have encouraged Ms Paetongtarn’s registration for strategic purposes, such as to attract more young executives to sign up.
The programme also aims to make the new generation, especially influencers and content creators, more aware of defence issues, he said.
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