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Asia Pacific|Who Is Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thailand’s New Prime Minister?
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/16/world/asia/thailand-prime-minister-paetongtarn-shinawatra.html
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The political heir to an influential family is now leading Thailand with no governing experience in a tumultuous time.
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Daughter of Thailand’s Ex-Prime Minister to Be Next Leader
Paetongtarn Shinawatra was chosen by lawmakers on Friday to be the country’s next leader, two days after a court ousted the previous prime minister.
It’s about time to do something for the country and for the party as well. And I just, I hope that I can do my best to, you know, make the country go forward.
Aug. 16, 2024Updated 8:31 p.m. ET
Thailand’s Parliament chose Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 37, to become the country’s prime minister on Friday, elevating a candidate with no governing experience to the leadership of a nation in profound political turmoil.
Here is what to know:
Heir to a Powerful Political Dynasty
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Ms. Paetongtarn, also known by her nickname, Ung Ing, is the third and youngest child of the tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, 75, who was prime minister from 2001 to 2006. The political parties he founded, including the Pheu Thai party his daughter now represents, consistently won elections. He was removed in a coup but has wielded influence even while living in exile to escape corruption charges.
Ms. Paetongtarn’s uncle, Somchai Wongsawat, was also removed as prime minister in 2008, when the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of his party.
Her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, 57, is a former prime minister who has faced the same fate. A younger sister of Mr. Thaksin, she became prime minister in 2011 and was removed in a coup in 2014 and fled the country in 2017 to avoid criminal negligence charges.
Background and Education
As a child, Ms. Paetongtarn shadowed her father while he campaigned and played golf. She graduated from Chulalongkorn University, one of Thailand’s top schools, with a degree in political science. She studied international hotel management at the University of Surrey in England.
