KING OFFICIALLY APPOINTS PAETONGTARN SHINAWATRA AS THAILAND’S PRIME MINISTER - VORAKA

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN VORAKA

Article Published on 20 August 2024 by Meghan Prentiss | www.vorakamag.com

Thailand’s monarch has formally approved Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a member of the country’s most notable and polarizing political family, as the new prime minister.

Her selection follows a tumultuous week in Thai politics, marked by the Constitutional Court’s removal of Srettha Thavisin, her predecessor from the Pheu Thai party.

At 37 years old, Paetongtarn is Thailand’s youngest prime minister and the daughter of the ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra. She is also the second woman to hold the office, following her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister.

On Sunday, King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s approval was announced to her by the secretary of the House of Representatives at Pheu Thai’s headquarters in Bangkok.

Paetongtarn knelt before a portrait of the king and delivered a brief speech expressing her gratitude.

“This is the greatest honor and pride of my life,” she said following the endorsement. “My family, the Pheu Thai party, and I deeply appreciate His Majesty’s kindness. I am committed to serving with loyalty and integrity for the benefit of the nation and its people.”

She is anticipated to select her 35-member cabinet and will lead them in taking an oath before the king. Paetongtarn stated that the new government will continue to advance a soft-power initiative focusing on the nation’s cultural heritage and tourism.

When asked by journalists whether her appointment signaled the return of a dynasty, Paetongtarn stated she would not be swayed by others. While she might seek her father’s advice, she emphasized that she has her own ideas and that Thaksin would not hold any position in her administration.

She vowed to prioritize addressing the country’s challenges and pledged to work with all parties.

“No one wants a repeat of what happened to my father and my aunt,” Paetongtarn said.

Thaksin’s economic and populist policies allowed him to create a political force that has dominated Thailand for the last 20 years, despite his removal in a 2006 coup.

However, parties connected to the telecommunications tycoon and former Manchester City Football Club owner have found it difficult to retain power, often being ousted through coups or court rulings.

Yingluck was removed from office before the military seized power in a 2014 coup, and Thaksin went into self-imposed exile in 2006 to avoid corruption charges after the military overthrew his government. He returned to Thailand from exile in August last year.

Last week, the Constitutional Court found Srettha guilty of violating ethics rules by appointing a lawyer, who had served prison time and was associated with Thaksin, to his cabinet.

Srettha’s dismissal dealt a fresh setback to Pheu Thai, which has often clashed with Thailand’s conservative establishment—a powerful group composed of military, royalist, and business elites.

On Friday, the national parliament elected Paetongtarn to the position after she was put forward as the sole candidate to replace Srettha by Pheu Thai’s ruling coalition.

She was one of three prime ministerial candidates for the Pheu Thai party in the lead-up to the May national elections and gained international attention when she gave birth just two weeks before the vote.