Paetongtarn Shinawatra Becomes Thailand’s Youngest Prime Minister

Paetongtarn Shinawatra was elected as Thailand’s next prime minister after securing enough support from lawmakers. The 37-year-old will be the youngest prime minister to lead the country. Paetongtarn Shinawatra's appointment is followed by a constitutional court ruling that ousted the former PM Srettha Thavisin.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the daughter of former Thai prime minister and billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2006 but remains hugely influential. Notably, she will be the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to hold the nation’s top job, reported The Guardian. Paetongtarn Shinawatra secured 319 votes in the House of Representatives after being nominated as the sole candidate by her Pheu Thai party’s ruling coalition. The ruling coalition chose Paetongtarn as the replacement after none of the other parties in the coalition suggested an alternative.

Former PM Srettha Thavisin has been removed from office over a case involving his appointment of a Cabinet member who had been jailed for bribery. Srettha is the fourth Thai PM in 16 years to be removed by verdicts of the court. At the same time, this dismissal comes just days after the opposition Move Forward Party was dissolved in another Constitutional Court ruling.