Thailand Elects 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra as New Prime Minister

Thailand’s parliament has elected a 37-year-old woman, Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the country’s youngest-ever prime minister.

Paetongtarn, known by her nickname ‘Ung Ing’ was elected on Friday, August 16, 2024.

This latest development came two days after Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office.

The 37-year-old politician won 319 votes in the House of Representatives, after being nominated as the sole candidate by her Pheu Thai party’s ruling coalition to replace Srettha. She still needs to be endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn before she can officially take office and appoint a Cabinet.

Who is Paetongtarn Shinawatra?

Paetongtarn was born in 1986 in Bangkok and is the youngest of Thaksin’s three children. She graduated with a degree of Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology from the capital’s elite Chulalongkorn University after her father’s ouster, where she was accused of cheating.

Paetongtarn, also going by her Thai nickname ‘Ung Ing’, spent 17 years away from her father, who lived in exile in Dubai and returned last year as part of a bargain with the conservative establishment. She further studied hotel management at the University of Surrey in the UK and is also a businesswoman.

She married Pitaka Suksawat in 2019 and has two children. Paetongtarn began her political journey in the Pheu Thai Party in 2021 and became the head of the party in the run-up to last year’s elections. She gained prominence as an energetic campaigner, holding rallies while heavily pregnant. However, the Move Forward Party led by Pita Limjaroenrat came first and cobbled a coalition with Pheu Thai to form a coalition.

However, the Move Forward Party was banned by the Senate and the court, paving the way for the Pheu Thai to form the government. After her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin was ousted by the Constitutional Court for violating ethical codes by appointing a minister who previously served time in jail, Paetongtarn was named the PM candidate and won 319 votes, or nearly two-thirds of the house.

The decision to put Paetongtarn in play at such a critical juncture has surprised many analysts, who had expected Thaksin to delay his dynasty and avoid exposing Paetongtarn to the type of battles that led to the downfall of himself and his sister Yingluck. Paetongtarn’s appointment comes at a difficult time for the country in the midst of an economic and political crisis.