Paetongtarn Shinawatra has made history as Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister following her confirmation by parliament, endorsed by the ruling coalition led by her Pheu Thai party.
She takes over from Srettha Thavisin, who was ousted from his position by a constitutional court ruling on Wednesday.
At 37 years old, Paetongtarn, often called by her nickname “Ung Ing,” is the youngest child of billionaire tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra. She now becomes the third member of her family to hold Thailand’s highest office, following in the footsteps of her father and aunt.
Srettha’s removal is the latest episode in Thailand’s ongoing political struggle between the military-backed, pro-royalist establishment and populist parties associated with Thaksin, who first disrupted the country’s political landscape with his election as prime minister in 2001. Thaksin spent years in exile after being ousted in a 2006 military coup and returned to Thailand only last year, coinciding with Pheu Thai’s formation of the government.
Paetongtarn was chosen by the ruling coalition as Srettha’s successor during a meeting on Thursday night after no other party in the 10-party coalition proposed an alternative candidate. With Pheu Thai and its allies holding 314 seats in parliament, Paetongtarn required approval from more than half of the 493 lawmakers currently serving to secure the role of prime minister.
Before entering politics three years ago, Paetongtarn was involved in managing the hotel division of her family’s business empire. Though she has never held elected office, she was a prominent figure on the campaign trail during the 2023 elections, where she was one of Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidates—remarkably giving birth just two weeks before polling day.
The reformist Move Forward Party (MFP) initially won the most seats in parliament but was prevented from forming a government by the military-appointed Senate, which had the power to veto prime ministerial appointments at that time.
Last week, the constitutional court dissolved MFP and imposed a 10-year political ban on its executive board members over the party’s proposal to amend strict royal defamation laws.
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