Paetongtarn Shinawatra Officially Endorsed as Thailand’s Prime Minister

Thailand’s king backed Paetongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister on Sunday, just two days after parliament elected her, clearing the path for her to form a cabinet in the coming weeks.

Paetongtarn, 37, became Thailand’s youngest prime minister when ally Srettha Thavisin was removed by the Constitutional Court. The court has played a key role in Thailand’s political upheaval over the past two decades.

Paetongtarn, the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was elected as Thailand’s second female prime minister and the third Shinawatra to hold the position, succeeding her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra.

House of Representatives Secretary Apat Sukhanand read out King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s consent, which was a formality, at a ceremony in Bangkok on Sunday.
Paetongtarn, dressed in official attire, knelt in front of a portrait of the king before delivering a brief speech thanking the king and the people’s representatives for supporting her as prime minister.

“As head of the executive branch, I will do my duty together with the legislators with an open heart,” she told the audience. “I will listen to all opinions so together we can take the country forward with stability,” she promised.

Paetongtarn, who has not previously served in government, has hurdles on numerous fronts, including the flailing economy and the diminishing popularity of her Pheu Thai party, which has yet to deliver on its main digital wallet cash handout scheme worth 500 billion baht ($15 billion).

After obtaining the royal endorsement, Paetongtarn hugged her father Thaksin and other family members.

In her inaugural news conference, Paetongtarn stated that she will continue all of her predecessor Srettha’s goals, including “major” economic stimulus and reform, combating illegal drugs, enhancing the country’s universal healthcare system, and fostering gender diversity.

She stated that the government will not abandon its centrepiece digital wallet idea, but rather “study and listen to additional options” to ensure the system is fiscally responsible.

“The goal is to stimulate the economy, so this intention remains,” Paetongtarn stated.

The Legacy of the Shinawatra Family and Thailand’s Political Turmoil

The prime minister stated that she had no plans to appoint her father Thaksin to any official positions, but will seek his advice.

Paetongtarn stated that details of her government proposals will be presented to parliament next month.

The demise of her predecessor Srettha after less than a year in office serves as a reminder of the dangers facing Paetongtarn, with Thailand mired in a volatile cycle of coups and court rulings that have disbanded political parties and deposed successive administrations and prime ministers.

The Shinawatra family’s legacy and political future are at danger. Last year, their once-unstoppable populist juggernaut suffered its first election setback in almost two decades, forcing them to form a coalition with their arch foes in the military.

The latest upheaval shows a collapse in a fragile truce reached between Thaksin and his enemies in the royalist establishment, which had permitted the tycoon’s dramatic return from 15 years of self-exile in 2023 and ally Srettha to become premier on the same day.

The court that dismissed Srettha over a cabinet appointment dissolved the anti-establishment Move Forward Party, the 2023 election winner, for a campaign to modify a royal insult legislation that threatened the constitutional monarchy.

The opposition to Pheu Thai has formed a new party, the People’s Party.

Source: Reuters