BANGKOK – Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of the controversial former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, was appointed Thailand’s prime minister following a royal endorsement on Sunday. This came just two days after her selection by Parliament in compliance with a court ruling that removed her predecessor.
She takes over from another leader of the Pheu Thai Party, heading a coalition that includes military factions linked to previous coups against the party’s prior administration.
Paetongtarn is the third Shinawatra family member to hold this position, following in the footsteps of her billionaire father and her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra. Both of them were ousted in coups and forced into exile, though Thaksin did return to Thailand last year when Pheu Thai formed a government.
The appointment ceremony took place at the party’s headquarters in Bangkok, with senior members of governing coalition parties and her father in attendance. Thaksin, although without a formal role, is considered the de facto leader of Pheu Thai.
Paetongtarn expressed gratitude towards the king, the Thai people, and lawmakers, pledging to fulfill her duties with an open mind and create opportunities for the Thai populace to dream, innovate, and shape their own destiny.
Paetongtarn assumed office shortly after the Constitutional Court ousted Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on ethical grounds for appointing a Cabinet member previously convicted of contempt of court and attempted bribery.
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