Thailand’s parliament has voted for Paetongtarn Shinawatra to be the country’s next prime minister, two days after Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed former premier Srettha Thavisin from office over ethics violation.
The daughter of billionaire tycoon and former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn, 37, will be Thailand’s second female prime minister, after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, and the youngest to hold the position.
Paetongtarn won 319 votes in the House of Representatives to become the 31st Prime Minister of Thailand, after being nominated as the sole candidate by her Pheu Thai party’s ruling coalition to replace Srettha.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra still needs to be endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn before she can officially take office and appoint a Cabinet.
“I really hope that I can make people feel confident that we can build opportunities and to improve the qualify of life and to empower all Thais,” Paetongtarn told reporters.
She acknowledged that she is “neither the best, nor the most talented one in the room. But I always think I have a strong will and I have a good team. My team is strong, experienced, determined and we share the same ideas. That’s something I value highly,” Paetongtarn added.
Thaksin lived in self-imposed exile for 15 years, except for a brief visit to Thailand in 2008, before returning to Thailand in August 2023, due to him being deposed in a military coup on 19 September 2006 owing to the accusations of corruption and abuse of power. His party was outlawed and he was barred from political activity.
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