Thailand’s youngest Thai PM hopes to build confidence
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BANGKOK – Thailand’s new Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said she was “very honoured” and “very happy” to be elected by lawmakers on Aug 16, in a vote held two days after former premier Srettha Thavisin was dismissed from the post.
The 37-year-old Pheu Thai Party leader, and daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, garnered 319 votes, representing nearly two-thirds of the House of Representatives.
Ms Paetongtarn replaced Mr Srettha, also from Pheu Thai, after he was dismissed
Mr Srettha’s dismissal as prime minister, after barely one year in office, also meant that his entire Cabinet would need to vacate their posts after a new line-up is selected by Ms Paetongtarn.
The 11-party governing coalition led by Pheu Thai agreed to support Ms Paetongtarn’s bid for premiership
She will be Thailand’s youngest prime minister and is the third member of the influential Shinawatra clan to take the top job, after Mr Thaksin and her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra. Mr Thaksin served from 2001 to 2006, while Yingluck was in office from 2011 to 2014.
Mr Thaksin, a business tycoon, retains strong support within Pheu Thai. Both he and Yingluck spent years in exile after the governments they led were ousted by military coups, and she remains abroad.
Speaking to reporters at the Pheu Thai headquarters in Bangkok after the vote, Ms Paetongtarn appeared confident about tackling the challenges of the post.
“I have never thought I am the best and smartest. I am fortunate to have a good and supportive team...
“Whatever we are doing, if we have a good team, we can handle it.”
When asked by The Straits Times what qualities she will bring to government, she said: “I really hope that I can make the people feel confident that we can build opportunities and improve the quality of life and empower all Thais.”
Ms Paetongtarn’s appointment comes amid political uncertainty in Thailand, which has over the past two decades seen a spate of military coups and court rulings that have ousted governments and disbanded popular political parties.
In the May 2023 General Election, the progressive Move Forward Party clinched the lion’s share of the vote
The party was later dissolved by the Constitutional Court on Aug 7
Its 143 MPs have now established themselves under a new iteration called the People’s Party.
Pheu Thai, which came in second in the 2023 polls, then formed an alliance with military-linked parties and its erstwhile rivals,
Mr Thaksin returned from exile
Political observers were divided on whether Mr Srettha’s dismissal signals this fragile truce is under threat. Ms Paetongtarn’s rise to the top job, however, indicates Mr Thaksin and his Pheu Thai remain highly influential.
Dr Stithorn Thananithichot, a political scientist from King Prajadhipok’s Institute, said the length of Ms Paetongtarn’s tenure as prime minister would depend on how well her government steers the economy and how well she can maintain the relationship with Thailand’s royalist establishment.
If she cannot deliver on either, she risks being booted out of office in the same manner as Mr Srettha, said Dr Stithorn.
Ms Paetongtarn, who is the youngest child of Mr Thaksin, studied political science at the renowned Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, followed by a master’s course in hotel management at University of Surrey in Britain.
She is married to a commercial pilot, and the couple have two children.
She captured the public’s attention when she campaigned at Pheu Thai’s pre-election rallies while heavily pregnant with her son before the 2023 polls.
In October 2023, she was elected unopposed as Pheu Thai Party leader.
Before entering politics, Ms Paetongtarn was involved in the family businesses, which include a golf course and companies in the real estate, hospitality and telecommunications sectors.
In accordance with Thai laws, she will have to relinquish her business roles and comply with shareholding rules before taking on the prime minister post.
