Bangkok: Thailand’s parliament has chosen Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of billionaire and former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, as the new prime minister. At 37, she becomes the nation’s youngest prime minister and only the second woman to hold the position, following her aunt Yingluck.
Her appointment comes shortly after the constitutional court dismissed former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, both of whom are members of the Pheu Thai Party. Though the party finished second in the 2023 elections, it successfully formed a ruling coalition.
Paetongtarn now faces the challenging task of reviving Thailand’s stalled economy while avoiding the military coups and judicial interventions that have toppled four previous administrations led by her party.
In her first statement after the vote on Friday, she expressed hope that she can inspire confidence in building opportunities, improving the quality of life, and empowering all Thais. Overwhelmed by the moment, she admitted her hands were trembling from excitement and humbly acknowledged, “I am neither the best nor the most talented one in the room.” However, she emphasized the strength and shared vision of her team.
Paetongtarn, who received 319 votes of endorsement against 145 opposed, is the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to become prime minister in the last two decades. Her predecessors, including her father Thaksin and her aunt Yingluck, were removed from power through military coups or court rulings.
The same court that dismissed Mr. Thavisin for appointing a former lawyer with a criminal record to his cabinet also issued a warning to Thaksin to curb his ambitions. This led Paetongtarn to take action for both her party and her country.
Her father, Thaksin, who returned to Thailand last October after 15 years in exile, encouraged her to “do your best” and expressed happiness that he could see her assume the role in his old age. Educated in elite schools in Thailand and the UK, Paetongtarn has experience in the Shinawatra family’s Rende hotel group, where her husband is the deputy chief investment officer. She joined Pheu Thai in 2021 and became the party leader in October 2023.
Her rise to the prime minister’s office brings renewed energy to Thailand’s leadership, with hopes within Pheu Thai that she can rejuvenate the party’s political prospects. Thaksin first became prime minister in 2001 but was ousted by a military coup in 2006. He remains a significant influence in Pheu Thai, even as he faces legal challenges, including charges under Thailand’s lese majeste law.
Paetongtarn led Pheu Thai’s campaign in the 2023 election while in the final stages of her pregnancy, earning widespread admiration. The election’s outcome, however, saw the military-appointed senate block the winning party, Move Forward, from forming the government, allowing Pheu Thai to lead the coalition with Mr. Thavisin as prime minister.
Earlier this month, the constitutional court dissolved Move Forward and banned 11 of its leaders from politics for a decade.
