ISTANBUL

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 37, was Friday elected the 31st prime minister of Thailand, a constitutional monarchy in Southeast Asia.  

Scion of the influential Shinawatra family, Paetongtarn succeeded Srettha Thavisin, who became the fourth premier in 16 years to be removed by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday.

Srettha was found guilty of ethics violation for appointing a convicted lawyer as a minister earlier this year in May.

Paetongtarn, as well as Srettha, represents the Pheu Thai Party which has 141 lawmakers in the lower house of the country’s bi-cameral parliament.

With the support of 10 other parties, the party’s numbers climbed to 314 in the house of 493 lawmakers.

Paetongtarn received 319 votes as 145 voted against her, while 27 lawmakers abstained from participating in the prime minister’s election.

Yet a newcomer to politics, she rose to prominence due to her persistent presence during campaigning ahead of general elections last year.  

Early life

Born in Bangkok on Aug. 21, 1986, Paetongtarn is the daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Known as Ung Ing among the Thai people, she is the third member of the influential Shinawatra family to serve as the prime minister of Thailand.

Youngest among her siblings, she is the niece of Yingluck Shinawatra, who was the prime minister between 2011 and 2014, when the latter was ousted by the Thai Constitutional Court.

They are the only two women to have held the top position in Thailand.

A businesswoman, Paetongtarn did her early schooling at Saint Joseph Convent and Mater Dei Schools before graduating with a bachelor's degree in Political Science, Sociology, and Anthropology from the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University in 2008.

Later, she earned an MSc degree in International Hotel Management from the University of Surrey, UK.

She married Pitaka Suksawat in 2019 with one of the two receptions held in Bangkok and the prime minister has two children, including a daughter.

Pitaka, a commercial pilot, and Paetongtarn held another glitzy reception in Hong Kong.  

Political life

Nourished in a political family, Paetongtarn formally joined politics to head the advisory committee on participation, as well as innovation for the Pheu Thai Party on Oct. 28, 2021.

Later, she was anointed as the head of the Pheu Thai Family project on March 20, 2022.

During general elections last year, Paetongtarn was put forward as the party’s candidate for prime minister, later named the vice-chairperson of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee, and finally rose to become party leader last October.

She was expecting a baby while campaigning for the party.

The British-educated Thai politician also has shares in several family-owned businesses, including the SC Asset Corporation.

While Paetongtarn’s aunt Yingluck was removed by the Thai Constitutional Court in 2014, her father Thaksin was ousted in a military coup in 2006 when he was on a trip to the US.

Formerly a policeman, Thaksin won two elections in the early 2000s and is a telecoms tycoon in the country.

A politician with social liberal thoughts, Paetongtarn has expressed her support to rewriting the Buddhist nation’s constitution and scrapping military conscription.

Paetongtarn opposes changing sensitive lese-majeste laws, which led to the dissolution of the opposition of Move Forward Part early this month.

Such laws disallow criticism of the monarchy.

However, Paetongtarn has supported stricter drug and crime control measures in a nation, popular for its coastal tourist destinations which attracted over 28 million visitors last year.  

Challenges

As the world moved out of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of living almost rose globally over the past few years.

As she turns 38 next week, Paetongtarn's priority will be navigating economic challenges and providing relief to the Thai people.

Pheu Thai Party’s pledge to distribute 10,000 baht ($285) each to all Thais at the age of 16 and over is likely to be her focus to cushion the household expenditure.

Pushing up purchasing power would depend on reviving manufacturing and boosting overall confidence in the economy even though tourism, which plays a critical role in the Thai economy has progressed well.

Issues related to the conservative monarchy, including lese-majeste laws and alleged judicial overpower, would be other issues facing the youngest prime minister.

On the foreign affairs front, Paetongtarn will face tests of navigating Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, marred by military coups, through hot waters of growing geo-political rivalry in the wider Asia-Pacific region.