Thailand Woman Becomes Youngest Prime Minister

Thailand’s parliament has gone with Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of the billionaire tycoon and former leader Thaksin, as the new prime minister.

At just 37, she’s set to be the youngest PM in the country and the second woman to hold the position, following her aunt Yingluck.

This decision comes hot on the heels of the constitutional court removing former PM Srettha Thavisin just two days ago.

Both belong to the Pheu Thai Party, which came in second in the 2023 election but managed to form a ruling coalition.

Paetongtarn now faces the tough challenge of jumpstarting Thailand’s sluggish economy and steering clear of the military takeovers and court interventions that have ousted four previous administrations led by her party.

Paetongtarn, who got 319 endorsements and 145 opposed votes on Friday, is now the fourth Shinawatra clan member to take the PM seat in the last two decades.

Her dad Thaksin and aunt Yingluck, among the others, got the boot due to military coups or court orders.

The court gave Mr. Thavisin the boot on Wednesday for appointing a former jailed lawyer to his cabinet.

After being nominated as the PM candidate, Paetongtarn shared at Pheu Thai’s base on Thursday that she respected Mr. Srettha’s efforts and felt his removal was a shame.

She’s been educated at fancy schools in Thailand and the UK and worked at the Shinawatra family’s Rende hotel group for a while, where her spouse is the deputy chief investment officer. Joining Pheu Thai in 2021, she took the reins as party leader in October 2023.

Paetongtarn’s new role injects some fresh vigor into Thailand’s top brass. Pheu Thai members might be crossing their fingers, hoping she can help turn around the party’s political luck.