Paetongtarn Shinawatra received the endorsement of Thailand's king for the prime minister position on Sunday, following her election by parliament two days earlier. This paves the way for her to establish a cabinet in the upcoming weeks. At 37, Paetongtarn is now Thailand's youngest prime minister, succeeding her ally Srettha Thavisin who was recently dismissed by the Constitutional Court. This court has been pivotal in Thailand's political landscape marked by sporadic turmoil over the past two decades.
As the daughter of the controversial former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn secured nearly two-thirds of the votes in the house on Friday, making her the second female prime minister and the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold the office. The endorsement from King Maha Vajiralongkorn, which is a customary procedure, was announced by House of Representatives secretary Apat Sukhanand during a ceremony in Bangkok. Dressed in her official attire, Paetongtarn paid homage to a portrait of the king and delivered a brief speech expressing her gratitude to the king and the representatives for her endorsement.
Paetongtarn, who has no prior government experience, faces numerous challenges, including a struggling economy and a declining popularity of her Pheu Thai party. The party has yet to implement its key digital wallet cash handout program, valued at 500 billion baht ($15 billion). Following the royal endorsement, Paetongtarn embraced her father Thaksin and other family members. In her inaugural press conference, she announced her intention to continue all policies of her predecessor Srettha, focusing on significant economic stimulus and reforms, combating illegal drugs, enhancing the universal healthcare system, and promoting gender diversity.
She emphasized that the government will not abandon the digital wallet policy but will explore additional options to ensure fiscal responsibility. Paetongtarn also stated that she has no plans to appoint her father to any government role but will consult him for advice. Details of her government's policies will be presented to parliament next month. The abrupt end of Srettha's tenure serves as a cautionary tale for Paetongtarn, as Thailand remains in a cycle of political upheavals and judicial interventions that have repeatedly destabilized the government.
This recent turmoil also impacts the political legacy and future of the Shinawatra family, whose dominant populist movement faced its first electoral defeat in over two decades last year. This forced them to ally with their military adversaries to form a government. The recent events suggest a breakdown in the delicate truce between Thaksin and his royalist opponents, which had facilitated his return from 15 years of self-imposed exile and Srettha's premiership.
Less than two weeks ago, the same court that dismissed Srettha dissolved the anti-establishment Move Forward Party, the 2023 election winner, due to a campaign to amend a law concerning royal insults. This move was seen as potentially undermining the constitutional monarchy. The highly popular opposition, Pheu Thai's main rival, has since reorganized under a new name, the People's Party.
