Billionaire's daughter becomes Thailand's head of government
After the Thai Prime Minister is removed from office by 40 senators, the ruling party elects a young billionaire's daughter as the new chairwoman. She is the sole candidate running for the position. The actual winning party of the parliamentary election dissolves the constitutional court.
Thailand gets a woman as its head of government for the second time in its history: The 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra, chairwoman of the ruling Pheu Thai Party and heiress to a wealthy dynasty, was elected as prime minister with a clear majority in parliament (local time) on Monday. She will become the youngest prime minister in the history of the Southeast Asian kingdom.
The election comes just two days after the Constitutional Court removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office. Paetongtarn is a member of the well-known Shinawatra clan. She is the daughter of billionaire and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the niece of former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
Both had been in power for several years before being overthrown by military coups and going into exile. However, the family still has many supporters in the strongly polarized kingdom.
Candidacy surprised
Paetongtarn, who has studied in Britain among other places, is only the second woman to lead the country after her aunt. She was already seen as a rising star in Thai politics during the 2023 parliamentary elections and even campaigned while heavily pregnant. She will turn 38 next week.
The ruling coalition, which has a comfortable majority in parliament, nominated Paetongtarn as the sole candidate on Thursday. The nomination came as a surprise after former Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri had been considered the front-runner. However, there had been speculation that the politician was not in the best of health. Reports suggest that a meeting of party leaders took place at the Shinawatra residence in Bangkok beforehand.
Paetongtarn's father, one of the richest men in the country, had been in self-imposed exile since 2008. He only returned to Thailand in August last year. In June, he was charged with lese-majesty. Despite many legal problems, Thaksin remains an influential power broker.
Coups and court rulings
The predecessor of the new prime minister, Srettha, was removed from office on Wednesday as part of a lawsuit brought by 40 senators. Dozens of conservative senators accused the prime minister of violating ethical rules by appointing a minister with a criminal record. The Constitutional Court agreed with this - much to the surprise of many. Political observers say this is the fifth time a Pheu Thai-led government has been removed by a coup or a court ruling.
In recent decades, Thailand has seen several coups, military governments, and street protests by the democracy movement. Just last week, the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) - the actual winner of the May 2023 parliamentary election - under pressure from conservative forces.
The party, particularly favored by young Thais, which had advocated for a change in the strict law against lese-majeste, was ousted by Pheu Thai after weeks of political turmoil and forced into opposition. A reform of the law, which carries long prison sentences for violations, remains a taboo. After its dissolution, the MFP recently re-emerged under a new name: People's Party (PP).
The Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the electoral process in Thailand, confirmed Paetongtarn Shinawatra's overwhelming victory in the parliamentary vote. The ruling Pheu Thai Party, having the majority in parliament, had presented her as the sole candidate for the prime ministerial position, following the ousting of their previous leader by the Constitutional Court.
