By Lucy Adautin
Thailand’s Parliament has elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of the controversial former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, as the country’s new prime minister.
She emerged as PM on Friday.
Paetongtarn now becomes the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold Thailand’s top political office, following in the footsteps of her father, Thaksin, who was ousted in a coup and only returned from exile last year, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, who currently lives in exile.
At 37, Paetongtarn also makes history as Thailand’s youngest prime minister and its second female leader after Yingluck.
Her election was confirmed by a vote of 319 in favor, with 145 against and 27 abstentions, following a public voting process in Parliament that lasted about an hour. Despite not being an elected lawmaker a requirement unnecessary for prime ministerial candidates,Paetongtarn secured a majority in Parliament as the sole nominee.
This election follows the removal of the previous prime minister just two days prior by the Constitutional Court due to an ethics violation.
Thaksin Shinawatra, one of Thailand’s most influential yet polarizing political figures, was deposed by a military coup in 2006. He remains a significant force behind Pheu Thai, the current ruling party, and his enduring popularity has bolstered political support for Paetongtarn.
Paetongtarn entered the political scene publicly in 2021 when Pheu Thai announced her as the head of an inclusion advisory committee. She was appointed as the party’s leader last year, shortly before being named one of its three candidates for prime minister in the lead-up to the elections.
While campaigning for Pheu Thai, Paetongtarn openly acknowledged her family ties but emphasized that she was not merely a stand-in for her father.
“It’s not the shadow of my dad. I am my dad’s daughter, always and forever, but I have my own decisions,” she said.
Paetongtarn’s nomination followed the removal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday after less than a year in office. The Constitutional Court found him guilty of a serious ethical breach regarding his appointment of a Cabinet member who was jailed in connection with an alleged bribery attempt.
It marked the second significant ruling to upend Thai politics within a week. Just days earlier, the same court disbanded the progressive Move Forward party, which had secured victory in last year’s general election but was prevented from assuming power. The party has since rebranded itself as the People’s Party.
Since 2001, Pheu Thai and its predecessors had dominated national elections, winning consistently with populist policies aimed at addressing economic challenges and reducing income inequality.
However, they were defeated by the reformist Move Forward party in the 2023 elections. Despite this, Pheu Thai was allowed to form a government after Move Forward was blocked from power by the previous Senate, which was appointed by the military.
