Thai lawmakers have picked Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as premier. At 37, Paetongtarn becomes the youngest prime minister in Thailand’s modern history.
Billionaire heiress Paetongtarn Shinawatra becomes Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister after receiving the backing of a majority of lawmakers in the country’s parliament on Friday.
Shinawatra is the 37-year-old daughter of billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the niece of another former prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra, but she has never held elected office before herself.
The Pheu Thai party selected her as its candidate after a court sacked Premier Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday for appointing a cabinet member with a criminal conviction.
Pheu Thai’s coalition controls 314 out of 493 seats in Thailand’s parliament. The 10 other parties in the coalition said they would back Shinawatra.
Who is Paetongtarn Shinawatra?
The Shinawatra family has held held significant sway over Thailand’s politics and economy for decades, at times locking horns with the influential establishment and the royalist military.
Paetontarn, who is known in Thailand by her nickname Ung Ing, helped run the hotel arm of the family’s business empire before entering politics three years ago.
She has grown her public profile and maintained a near-constant presence on the campaign trail during the 2023 elections.
But her pivot to politics comes as Pheu Thai’s popularity dwindles. She has urged the public to be patient on polices that the government has yet to deliver, such as its flagship cash handout program worth 500 billion baht (€13 billion; $14.3 billion).
“It has only been one year … I will push all the Pheu Thai policies for success,” Shinawatra said. “We are determined and ready to push the country forward.”
If confirmed, she would be Thailand’s youngest-ever prime minister and the second woman to hold the office, after her aunt.
