Bankok new PM

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, has recently been elected as Thailand’s new Prime Minister. At 37 years old, she is the youngest person to hold this position and the third member of her family to lead the country, following her father and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra. Paetongtarn’s rise to power comes amid significant political turmoil in Thailand, including the dissolution of the Move Forward Party, which had won the most seats in the 2023 general election but was blocked from forming a government due to its stance on royal defamation laws.

Paetongtarn’s election has renewed the influence of the Shinawatra political dynasty, which has been both highly popular and deeply divisive in Thailand. Her father, Thaksin, was ousted in a military coup in 2006, and her aunt Yingluck was removed from office in a similar coup in 2014. Despite her family connections, Paetongtarn has stated that she intends to govern with her own vision, though her policies are expected to closely align with those of the Pheu Thai Party, which has traditionally focused on populist economic measures.

Her leadership is seen as a continuation of her family’s political legacy, but it also faces significant challenges, including the need to navigate the complex and often adversarial relationship between Thailand’s political and royalist establishments.