On August 16, President of the Thai National Assembly Wan Muhamad Noor Matha convened a plenary session of the 493-member House of Representatives to elect a new Prime Minister to replace Mr. Srettha Thavisin, who was recently dismissed by the Constitutional Court.
The only candidate in this vote is Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai Party, which leads the ruling coalition that currently holds 314 of the 493 seats in the House of Representatives. According to Thailand's election law, Ms. Paetongtarn needs a minimum majority, or 247 votes, to be elected Prime Minister.
As a result, Ms. Paetongtarn received 319 votes in favor, 145 votes against and 27 abstentions. There were 2 members of the House of Representatives who did not attend the meeting. Thus, Ms. Paetongtarn was elected, becoming the 31st Prime Minister and the youngest Prime Minister ever in Thailand. She is also the second female Prime Minister in the history of the "Land of the Golden Pagoda" and the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold this position, after her father, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra.
Ms. Paetongtarn, also known by her nickname “Ung-ing”, was born on August 21, 1986 in the United States. She is the third and youngest child of former Prime Minister Thaksin and his ex-wife Potjaman Na Pombejra. Ms. Paetongtarn graduated with a BA in political science, sociology and anthropology from the Faculty of Political Science of Chulalongkorn University in 2008 and a Master’s degree in international hotel management from the University of Surrey in the UK.
Before entering politics, Ms. Paetongtarn was CEO of Rende Development Co. Ltd., which manages assets owned by the Shinawatra family, including SC Park Hotel, Alpine Golf & Sports Club and Thames Valley Khao Yai Hotel. She is a major shareholder of real estate giant SC Asset Corporation and a director of Thaicom Foundation. She also holds stakes in about 20 other companies in the real estate, telecommunications and media sectors. Before assuming the role of prime minister, Ms. Paetongtarn will have to give up her business roles and comply with restrictions on her shareholding.
She is married to Pidok Sooksawas and has two children. Prior to the May 2023 general election, Paetongtarn was one of three candidates for prime minister of the Pheu Thai Party. After the Pheu Thai Party won the right to form a government with Srettha elected as prime minister, Paetongtarn continued to hold a senior position in the Pheu Thai Party and was elected party leader on October 27, 2023. As a member of the former Prime Minister Srettha's government, Paetongtarn was recently appointed as vice-chairman of two national committees on soft power strategy and public health system development, both chaired by the current Prime Minister.
The Thai private sector has responded positively to Paetongtarn’s election as the country’s new prime minister. Kriengkrai Thiennukul, president of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), said that Paetongtarn can help form a bond between the new and old generations in Thailand, so her young age is an advantage rather than a hindrance. Kriengkrai believes that under Paetongtarn’s leadership, most policies introduced by the Pheu Thai Party will continue as planned.
Sanan Angubolkul, president of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), also shared a similar view, saying that the incoming government (still led by the Pheu Thai Party) will likely continue most of its economic policies to restore confidence among Thai and foreign investors. Sanan expressed hope that the new cabinet will be formed as soon as possible to avoid creating a gap in budget management and disbursement. He also hoped that the government would continue to improve Thailand's competitiveness in the international arena and negotiate free trade agreements with more partners to boost the export sector.
VNA
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/thai-lan-co-thu-tuong-tre-nhat-trong-lich-su-post754362.html
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