Daughter of former Man City owner named Thailand’s youngest ever PM

Paetongtarn Shinawatra wins majority in parliament, following the footsteps of her father and former leader Thaksin Shinawatra

The 37-year-old heir of a powerful but controversial political dynasty has been elected Thailand’s youngest prime minister, after a shock court decision which plunged the kingdom into crisis.
Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra was picked by Thailand’s parliament on Friday, days after judges removed her predecessor Srettha Thavisin for breaching ethical standards.
Ms Paetongtarn is the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire who once owned Manchester City football club. He was ousted in a military coup in 2006 but has retained a strong presence behind the scenes.
His brother-in-law and sister have served as prime minister since he fled into exile, though both were ultimately ousted by a royalist-military establishment that despises him. Still, sensing a threat from a youthful progressive party, a murky deal with that very elite allowed Mr Thaksin to return after a 15-year exile last year.
Now, his daughter’s rise to the nation’s top job is a clear indication that Mr Thaksin has no intention of exiting the political fray.
Dr Napon Jatusripitak, a visiting fellow at the Singapore-based think tank ISEAS Yusof-Ishak Institute, said: “Paetongtarn’s rise to the premiership means the Shinawatra clan will play an even more direct role in shaping this government’s political and policy direction. 
“It also means the Shinawatra clan will return to its former status as the most polarising force in Thai politics since many Thai conservatives still cannot accept the legitimacy of a Shinawatra prime minister.”
He added that her appointment could end badly for the Shinawatra family: Mr Thaksin will have to “tread carefully” to ensure his daughter does not suffer the same fate as Mr Sretta, while Ms Paetongtarn will have to work hard to prove “she answers to the Thai people rather than her father”.
Ms Paetongtarn worked for the family’s hotel group before jumping into politics last year, when she hit the campaign trail for her Pheu Thai party while heavily pregnant. While a deft communicator, she’s not popular –  in a June opinion poll, she had only a five per cent approval rating.
Many view the mother of two as inexperienced, amplifying the perception that she’s purely Mr Thaksin’s puppet. On Thursday, a former minister told the Telegraph that the opposition were “like vultures, waiting to eat her alive”.
Ms Paetongtarn’s ascent comes after another turbulent period for Thai politics.
Last week, the same court that ousted Mr Srettha dissolved the reformist Move Forward Party and banned its leaders from politics. The group won the most seats and votes in the 2023 election but was barred from heading a coalition by the powerful royalist military establishment.
In parliament on Friday, the head of a new iteration of Move Forward called the People’s Party, bemoaned “lawfare” by the courts – reflecting a broader frustration among many in Thailand about the limits of democracy in the southeast Asian country.
But the kingdom has other challenges that will immediately clog up Ms Paetongtarn’s inbox.
“Thailand is currently facing economic problems that may be beyond even the best leaders’ ability to fix,” said Dr Napon. “The next election will show whether she has succeeded.”