UPDATED at 1:20 ET on 2024-08-16
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 37-year-old scion of one of Thailand’s top political families, will serve as prime minister after a majority of MPs voted for her on Friday to succeed Srettha Thavisin, who was forced from office by a court ruling this week.
Paetongtarn, the leader of the Pheu Thai Party whose nickname is "Ung Ing," will be the youngest and 31st person in Thai history to hold the office.
She sailed through in Friday’s parliamentary election by securing 319 votes in her favor, with 145 against, 27 abstentions and two non-voters. King Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) is expected to appoint her as PM on Sunday.
The vote took place a day after partners in the ruling coalition, including parties linked with the military, met to hash out who they should nominate to replace Srettha. By day’s end on Thursday, they settled on Paetongtarn as their pick for PM.
Although she did not attend Friday’s session at Parliament House in Bangkok, Paetongtarn expressed gratitude to the MPs following the vote.
“I really hope that I can make the people feel confident that we can build on the opportunity and improve the quality of life and empower all Thais,” she said during a post-vote news conference at Voice TV, a channel owned by the Shinawatra family.
Paetongtarn expressed support for Srettha, who was stripped of power less than 48 hours earlier.
On Wednesday, the Constitutional Court ruled that he must step down as prime minister over an ethical violation because he appointed a minister to his cabinet who had been jailed in 2008 on charges of bribing an official.
“I was very confused and I didn’t know what to do when the result came out and I felt very bad because I didn’t expect the result to be like that at all,” she said of the ruling that ousted Srettha, the first civilian head of government after nearly a decade of military rule, who held power for only 11 months.
Paetongtarn is the third Shinawatra to rise to Thailand’s top political office.
Her father, Thaksin, a divisive figure in national politics and a populist leader, was forced from office by a military coup in 2006. Her aunt, Yingluck, also served before she was forced out by a similar coup in 2014. In addition, Thaksin's brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, served as prime minister in 2008 before a Constitutional Court ruling forced him out.
Ahead of Friday’s vote, Nattapong Ruangpanyawut, leader of the opposition People’s Party, urged fellow MPs to support constitutional amendments to prevent future dissolutions of political parties and ensure that power belongs to the people.
His party was formed last week out of the ashes of the former Move Forward Party, after the Constitutional Court disbanded Move Forward and barred 11 of its leaders from participating in politics for a decade.
“Our critical mission in this parliament is to revise and improve the laws, including drafting a new constitution or amending specific sections to appropriately define the roles of the Constitutional Court and other independent bodies,” Nattapong said.
“We also need to reform the laws governing political parties to make it easier for them to form and harder for them to be dissolved.”
The Move Forward Party won the most seats in the 2023 general election but was unable to form a government because of opposition to its stance on reforming lèse-majesté, the strict law against royal defamation.
Thaksin’s shadow
Adisorn Piengkes, a Pheu Thai MP, echoed Nattapong’s sentiment, calling for legal reforms to protect political parties and strengthen democracy.
“We, especially the future government, should reform the laws and the Constitution that currently punish politicians and political parties. I agree that we need to make it easier to establish political parties and harder to dissolve them,” Adisorn said.
“Let’s work together to amend the Constitution to make it more democratic and I hope the opposition will cooperate fully with the government.”
RELATED STORIES
[ Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s nomination for Thai PM reopens family dynastyOpens in new window ]
[ Thailand’s Srettha Thavisin falls prey to a judicial coupOpens in new window ]
[ Thai lawmakers to elect Srettha’s successor after court ousts PMOpens in new window ]
[ Thai opposition launches new party after court dissolved their old Move ForwardOpens in new window ]
[ Thai court orders Move Forward Party dissolvedOpens in new window ]
Following Paetongtarn’s election, Olarn Thinbangtieo, an associate professor at Burapha University’s Faculty of Political Science and Law, predicted that her father, Thaksin, would be in charge.
“Thai politics will now be 100% dominated by Thaksin. Paetongtarn’s strength is that she is Thaksin’s daughter and her weakness is also that she is Thaksin’s daughter. She will inevitably become a target for those who oppose Thaksin, leading to various controversies, while negotiations for ministerial positions are sure to take place,” Olarn told BenarNews.
“I believe that by aligning with the old power groups, Pheu Thai has put Paetongtarn in a ‘lamb among wolves’ situation. While they may rely on Pheu Thai, the party will not have much flexibility and Paetongtarn will have to navigate these conditions while also contending with the People’s Party.”
Olarn said Srettha’s digital wallet scheme must continue, adding that calls that its future depends on the new prime minister were political trickery.
The digital wallet refers to last year’s campaign pledge by Srettha to deliver a one-time cash handout of 10,000 baht (U.S. $275) to Thai citizens in an effort to stimulate spending and help Thailand’s economy recover from ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This policy is tied to the Pheu Thai Party and Khun Ung Ing must carry it forward. The only exception would be if the prime minister were from another party, in which case they wouldn’t have to continue it as it’s not their party’s policy,” Olarn said.
Hopes for an exit from authoritarianism
Writer Aiko Hamasaki, 32, said she was excited about Paetongtarn’s election.
“I’m thrilled that Paetongtarn has become prime minister,” Aiko told BenarNews. “She speaks our language in both tone and content.”
“I hope all of Pheu Thai’s policies will stimulate the economy and bring in foreign investments. I hope this time we can genuinely learn to coexist with different opinions,” she said.
READ MORE
[ Thaksin’s imminent return stirs hope, anxiety in ThailandOpens in new window ]
[ Thaksin’s daughter gives birth two weeks before Thai electionOpens in new window ]
[ Next-generation Shinawatra takes steps to revive Thai political dynastyOpens in new window ]
Meanwhile, private sector employee Kittin Likitparinya, 28, expressed disappointment with Pheu Thai for betraying its promises by aligning with parties and politicians linked to the military, which controlled the government from 2014 until 2023..
“My only wish now is to see Paetongtarn become prime minister – not because I expect her to restore the lost faith of the youth or the ideologically driven, but because I’m tired of facing the old dictatorship. Paetongtarn might be the only way to lead us out of this whirlpool of authoritarianism,” Kittin told BenarNews.
This story has been updated to include reactions regarding the vote for Paetongtarn Shinawatra to serve as prime minister.
Jon Preechawong and Wittayakorn Boonruang in Bangkok contributed to this report.
BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news organization.