Thailand’s political landscape has witnessed a significant shift as Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was officially endorsed as the country’s new prime minister.
The endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn came just two days after Parliament elected her to the position, marking a new chapter in the nation’s ongoing political saga.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, aged 37, was formally sworn in as Thailand’s prime minister on Sunday, following her election by Parliament. The royal endorsement, a procedural formality, was delivered by House of Representatives Secretary Apat Sukhanand during a ceremony held in Bangkok.
Paetongtarn’s appointment comes in the wake of the Constitutional Court’s dismissal of her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin. This abrupt change is the latest episode in Thailand’s two decades of political turbulence, during which the judiciary has played a pivotal role. Despite the leadership shift, Paetongtarn is expected to maintain much of the previous administration’s policies and cabinet, signalling continuity within the Pheu Thai Party’s governance.
Paetongtarn’s ascension to power is significant, not only because she is the second female prime minister in Thailand’s history but also because she hails from the influential Shinawatra family. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, remains a divisive figure in Thai politics, while her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, was the nation’s first female prime minister.
Paetongtarn’s victory in Parliament, where she secured nearly two-thirds of the vote, underscores the enduring influence of her family within the Pheu Thai Party and across the broader political landscape.
While Paetongtarn has yet to finalise her cabinet, there is widespread speculation that it will closely resemble that of her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin. Al Jazeera’s Bangkok correspondent, Tony Cheng, reported that the presence of Srettha at the swearing-in ceremony was a deliberate move by the party to project stability and continuity.
In her first speech as prime minister, delivered after kneeling before a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Paetongtarn pledged to lead with an “open heart” and to collaborate with legislators to guide Thailand towards stability. “I will listen to all opinions so together we can take the country forward with stability,” she vowed.
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