In a surprising development, Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been chosen as Thailand’s new prime minister after her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was suddenly removed from office. Srettha, a real estate tycoon and newcomer in politics from the Pheu Thai Party, had only been elected as prime minister in August 2023. His selection ended a three-month political deadlock, as he was supported by 482 of the 747 parliamentary votes. His appointment also happened shortly after the return of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra from 15 years of self-imposed exile.
However, Srettha’s time in office was short. On August 14, 2024, the Constitutional Court dismissed him for appointing a controversial lawyer to his Cabinet. This decision added to Thailand’s ongoing political instability. The court’s ruling also came shortly after the dissolution of the Move Forward Party, which had won the most seats in the previous election but was blocked from forming a government by the military-appointed Senate. These events have created a highly uncertain political situation in Thailand.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who led the Pheu Thai campaign during the 2023 election while she was pregnant, is now set to become prime minister. Her appointment shows the continued influence of the Shinawatra family in Thai politics. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was overthrown in a military coup in 2006 and recently faced legal challenges under Thailand’s lese majeste law, which deals with insults to the monarchy. The political legacy of Thaksin and the situation of his sister Yingluck—who was also ousted by a coup and is now in exile—continue to shape Thailand’s politics.
As the new prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra will face the challenge of handling the complicated and turbulent political environment left by her predecessors while addressing demands for better governance and economic reforms.
