Paetongtarn Shinawatra 37 Becomes Thailand’s Prime Minister

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, known by her nickname ‘Ung Ing’: new Prime Minister of Thailand

Her father was ousted from power by a military coup in 2006. Her aunt’s government suffered a similar fate eight years later. But now 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra, known by her nickname ‘Ung Ing’ is now the new Prime Minister of Thailand, CNN reported.

This is indeed groundbreaking as her election makes her the youngest person and second female after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra to hold that office

Thailand’s parliament voted on Friday for her to be the country’s next prime minister, thrusting another member of the kingdom’s most famed and divisive political dynasty into the top job.

This latest development came two days after Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office.

Paetongtarn, 37, won 319 votes in the House of Representatives, after being nominated as the sole candidate by her Pheu Thai party’s ruling coalition to replace Srettha. She still needs to be endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn before she can officially take office and appoint a Cabinet.

A political neophyte, Paetongtarn was one of three prime ministerial candidates for Pheu Thai ahead of national elections in May last year and made international headlines when she gave birth just two weeks before the vote.

Her appointment adds another twist to a years-long saga that has shaken up Thailand’s already-turbulent political landscape.

Paetongtarn is the youngest daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup. Thaksin is one of Thailand’s most influential figures, whose economic and populist policies enabled him to build up a political machine that has dominated Thai politics for the past two decades

Srettha’s dismissal on Wednesday was the latest blow to the Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai, which has frequently run afoul of Thailand’s conservative establishment – a small but powerful clique of military, royalist and business elites.

Political parties allied to Thaksin have struggled to hold on to power, having been forced out due to coups or court decisions.

Paetongtarn’s aunt Yingluck was removed from office before the military seized power in a 2014 coup, and her father Thaksin went into self-imposed exile in 2006 for more than 15 years to escape corruption charges after the military toppled his government.

Thaksin, a telecoms billionaire and former owner of Manchester City Football Club, returned to Thailand from exile in August last year.

He has retained an outsized grip on Thai politics and many saw him as continuing to influence the Pheu Thai party – firstly through his sister Yingluck and now through his daughter.

Born in 1986 in the capital Bangkok, Paetongtarn attended top schools in Thailand and the United Kingdom. Her foray into politics has been “a long time coming,” analysts said.

Growing up, she was frequently spotted with her father at official events when he was prime minister.

“She was very prominent and was often seen with him,” Thai political scientist Thitinan Pongsudhirak from Chulalongkorn University told CNN. “Paetongtarn has Thaksin’s political instincts and she has a lot of things going for her as his youngest daughter,” he added.