Thailand’s parliament has picked Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the new prime minister, actually, at 37, she’s Thailand’s Youngest Prime Minister and the second woman to get the job, after her aunt Yingluck.
She is the daughter of a former Thai leader, Thaksin Shinawatra. She was chosen as the new leader just two days after the previous leader was removed from the position by a court.
Both of them are from the Pheu Thai Party, which didn’t win the 2023 election but still managed to lead a coalition.
Now, Paetongtarn has a tough job ahead. She needs to fix Thailand’s economy and avoid the problems that took down other leaders from her party, like military coups and court decisions.
After getting picked, Paetongtarn told reporters she hopes to make people feel more confident and improve life for all Thais. She was super excited and even said her hands were shaking.
She admitted that she’s “not the best or the most talented,” but she’s got a strong will and a good team. She really values her team because they share the same ideas and are experienced and determined.
Paetongtarn is the fourth person from the Shinawatra family to become prime minister in the last 20 years. The others, including her dad Thaksin and her aunt Yingluck, were taken down by military coups or court rulings.
She said she was “confused” and “very sad” when she heard about Mr. Srettha’s dismissal. After talking to him and her family, she felt it was time to do something for her party and the country.
Her dad Thaksin called her to say “do your best” and was happy to see her become PM in his old age. Paetongtarn went to fancy schools in Thailand and the UK. She worked for her family’s hotel group before joining Pheu Thai in 2021 and becoming the party leader in October 2023.
Her appointment brings new energy to Thailand’s leadership. Pheu Thai members hope she can bring back the party’s popularity.
Thaksin first became PM in 2001, but his government was taken down by a military coup in 2006. He came back to Thailand last October after 15 years in exile, just before Mr. Srettha became PM.
Thaksin, a former leader, made a deal with his old enemies and is now working with them. He was recently accused of speaking against the king, which is a serious crime in Thailand.
Some people think the court’s decision to kick out Mr. Srettha was a warning to Thaksin to chill out. Thaksin’s sister, Yingluck, won a big election in 2011, but she was also kicked out by the courts and another coup. She’s now living in exile.
Paetongtarn led Pheu Thai’s campaign in last year’s election while she was pregnant, which made a lot of people admire her. She said people want better politics and solutions instead of coups. Even though Move Forward won the election, they weren’t allowed to form a government because of the military-appointed senate. This led to Pheu Thai making a coalition with Mr. Srettha as PM.
Earlier this month, the constitutional court dissolved Move Forward and banned 11 of its leaders from politics for 10 years.
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