Thailand Now the third Shinawatra, 38, is leading it Patongtarn Shinawatra elected Prime Minister Following in the footsteps of her billionaire father Thaksin and aunt Yingluck, Ms Patongtarn is the youngest and only second female prime minister of a Southeast Asian monarchy.
Born on August 21, 1986, Patongtarn – also known by her nickname Ung Eng – is the youngest daughter of former telecom tycoon-turned-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. After completing a BA in political science from Chulalongkorn University, she changed stream and earned a master’s degree in international hotel management from the University of Surrey in England.
Who is Patongtarn Shinawatra, the new Prime Minister of Thailand?
Ms Patongtarn, who grew up watching her father’s dramatic rise and fall in Thai politics, formally entered politics in 2021 as director of the Pheu Thai Party’s innovation and inclusiveness committee.
“Ever since I was young, I have sought my father’s advice on all matters,” Ms Patongtarn said last year. The 75-year-old former prime minister last week received a royal pardon from an eight-year sentence on charges related to corruption and abuse of power. However, he still faces charges of “defaming” the monarchy.
Before politics, Ms Patongtarn was involved in her family’s business, holding a 28.5% stake in property firm SC Asset Corp. She was also the CEO of Rende Development Co., a hotel business run by her sister. In 2019, she married commercial pilot Piddok Sooksawas and has two children. She caused a stir by campaigning while pregnant and gave birth to a child just before the election in May 2023.
In 2020, Thailand witnessed massive pro-democracy protests demanding an end to the military rule imposed after the 2014 overthrow of her aunt Ms Yingluck’s government. As an active leader of the Pheu Thai Party (PTP), Ms Patongtarn was shortlisted as one of three prime ministerial candidates ahead of the May 2023 elections. She promised a mix of social and economic measures in her campaign, including building high-speed rail and flood mitigation infrastructure, curbing marijuana use for recreational purposes, and easing laws for the LGBTQ+ community.
Mixed results
The general election produced mixed results, with the now-dissolved Move Forward Party led by Pita Limjaroenrat winning 151 of the 500 seats, while the PTP came in second with 141. Mr Pita formed a coalition with eight pro-democracy parties, including the PTP, but was blocked by the military-ruled 200-member Senate.
The PTP then joined hands with 10 other parties, including the military-backed United Thai Nation Party and the Palang Pracharat Party. On August 22, 2023, Mr Thaksin returned from a 15-year self-exile as the PTP nominated real estate mogul Sritha Thawisin as its prime ministerial candidate. Ms Patongtarn was appointed the PTP’s leader as her father began making more public appearances.
The way was cleared for Ms Patongtarn to become prime minister by a ruling by Thailand’s Constitutional Court, which on August 14 removed Mr Shrestha from the post of prime minister for “gross ethical violations” in appointing Ms Thaksin’s former lawyer Pichit Chuenban to his Cabinet.
Mr Pichit was briefly jailed for contempt of court in 2008 for allegedly attempting to bribe court staff. Within 48 hours of Mr Sritha’s dismissal, parliament convened to vote on Ms Patongtarn’s candidacy. The newly-elected Senate, which has replaced all its military-appointed members, also quickly confirmed her appointment, a sign of the military’s support for Shinawatra.
Faced with a bitterly divided parliament, an entrenched judiciary, a slow-growing economy and her own inexperience, Ms. Patongtarn faces many challenges, including dealing with a bitter power struggle between the monarchist-military factions of her party and her coalition and delivering on the PTP’s promises. She must also step out of her father’s long shadow if she is to leave her mark on governance while navigating the choppy waters of Thai politics.