What do we know about Paetongtarn Shinawatra?

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of billionaire tycoon and former Thailand leader Thaksin, is the youngest prime minister in the country.

On Friday, Thailand’s parliament picked Paetongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister when she is only 37 years old. The selection comes just two days after a constitutional court dismissed former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the country’s second woman prime minister after her aunt Yingluck. Both Paetongtarn and Srettha are from political party “ Pheu Thai”.

Paetongtarn received 319 endorsements and 145 against votes on Friday. She is the fourth member of the Shinawatra clan to become prime minister in the past two decades.

Military coups or constitutional court rulings deposed the other three, including her father Thaksin and Aunt Yingluck. On Wednesday, the same court dismissed Thavisin for appointing to his cabinet a former lawyer as the lawyer was once jailed.

Shinawatra joined Pheu Thai party in 2021 but she was appointed party leader in October 2023.

Paetongtarn’s selection brings fresh energy to top leadership in Thailand. Pheu Thai members may also hope that she can help revive political fortunes of the party.

In 2001, Thaksin first became prime minister of Thailand, but his second term in office finished shortly after a military coup deposed his government in 2006.

In last October, Thaksin returned to Thailand after 15 years in exile, hours before Srettha was voted prime minister.

As part of a grand bargain with his old conservative enemies, Thaksin was allowed to return as they are now in coalition with Pheu Thai.

Srettha was charged with insulting the monarchy in June under Thailand’s notorious lese majeste law, which has been used against political dissidents.

Yingluck, Mr Thaksin’ sister, won a landslide in the 2011 election, but the courts later disqualified her too. She is now living in exile as a second coup ousted her government.

Paetongtarn led the campaign of Pheu Thai in last year’s election. As she was in the final stages of her pregnancy, it won her many admirers.

Paetongtarn studied at the elite conservative institute of Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Her nickname is Ung-Ing.

She helped run the hotel arm of her family’s business empire before entering politics three years ago.

Paetongtarn’s political career started in 2021 after she became head of Inclusion and Innovation Advisory Committee of Pheu Thai.