Who is Thailand’s new prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra?

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Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 37-year-old daughter of telecommunications billionaire and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has become the 31st prime minister of Thailand.

Only the second female prime minister of the constitutional monarchy, following her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, Paetongtarn came into power following a forced vote in parliament.

The vote was prompted after the sacking of previous prime minister Srettha Thavisin earlier this week.

How did Paetongtarn Shinawatra become the new prime minister?

After less than a year in office, Thavisin was found guilty of an ethical breach after appointing Pichit Chuenban, a former lawyer, into the cabinet despite Chuenban’s imprisonment due to an alleged bribery attempt.

A man in a suit smiles and has his hands together

Srettha Thavisin was removed as prime minister following an ethical breach. Source: AP / Sakchai Lalit

Two days after the court removed Thavisin, the parliament voted to approve the Shinawatra — the sole nominee and leader of the Pheu Thai party — as the new prime minister.

After an hour of voting, 319 politicians voted in favour of Paetongtarn, 145 were against, and 27 abstained.

“We were confident that under her leadership, we will all support her and be ready to carry out her policies from the day she assumes office,” Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, said during a press conference after the vote.

Who are the Shinawatras?

The wealthy Shinawatra family is one of the most influential and divisive political clans in Thailand.

served as prime minister from 2001 to 2006; while his sister took over the role from 2011 to 2014. Their brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat was the prime minister in 2008.

A older man in a suit and a younger woman wearing white smile

Thaksin Shinawatra and his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, Thailand’s newest prime minister Source: AP / Sakchai Lalit

Known for their populist agendas, Thaksin was removed by a military coup and forced out of the country, while Yingluck and Wongsawat were removed from office by court rulings.

Thaksin, who has since returned to Thailand, was the first Thai politician to win a majority of seats in parliament. He has been widely referred to as the de facto leader of the Pheu Thai party and is said to be the force behind Paetongtarn’s rise to power.

What is Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s background?

Born in 1986, Paetongtarn is the youngest of Thaksin’s three children. She also goes by the nickname, ‘Ung Ing’.

Paetongtarn worked for the family’s Rende hotel firm after graduating from the prestigious Chulalongkorn University in Thailand with a degree in political science, sociology and anthropology, and the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom with a degree in hotel management.

In 2019, she married husband Pidok Sooksawas. The couple has two children.

Although she lacked political experience before leading an inclusion advisory committee for the Pheu Thai party in 2021, she became the party leader in 2023. She also rose to prominence due to being an ‘energetic campaigner’ while heavily pregnant.

A man and a woman greet reporters and photographers

Paetongtarn Shinawatra and her husband Pidok Sooksawas greet reporters at their party’s headquarters. Source: AP / Wason Wanichakorn

On the campaign trail, Paetongtarn said that although she acknowledges her family’s political power, she wants to step out of her father’s shadow.

“I am my dad’s daughter, always and forever, but I have my own decisions,” she said.

As Thailand’s new prime minister, Paetongtarn now faces significant challenges, including a floundering economy and her party’s diminishing popularity due to the delay of its controversial digital cash handout program worth $22 billion.

The plan, originally promised by the government in May 2023 under Srettha, has started the sign-up process for the scheme, under which 50 million Thai citizens will receive a digital payment of 10,000 baht ($430) each in an effort to boost the economy.

The scheme has been criticised by some economists, who say it won’t be an effective way of managing the issue. There are also questions about how the government will ensure people don’t spend the digital cash payment on ‘restricted’ items like alcohol and gold.

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