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By Kenny Teng
BANGKOK, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- Pheu Thai party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra has secured majority votes in Parliament Friday (Aug 16) to become Thailand’s 31st Prime Minister.
The 37-year-old Paetongtarn, who led the largest party in the 11-member ruling coalition, is the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The populist Pheu Thai Party, which is affiliated with Thaksin, had only one candidate for prime minister, Paetongtarn.
Paetongtarn, a political newcomer, received 319 votes, 145 votes against while 27 abstained.
On that count, she passed the threshold of 247 votes needed to become a prime minister and to form the next government.
She was backed by a Pheu Thai-led coalition of 11 parties, including two military-linked rivals: Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and the United Thai Nation (UTN).
The coalition holds 314 of the 493 parliamentary seats, nearly two-thirds of the total.
The election for prime minister began at 11.30 am local time and concluded at 12.30 pm local time.
The Kingdom's youngest premier succeeded Srettha Thavisin, who was removed from office by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday (Aug 14).
Paetongtarn, born on Aug 21, 1986, in Bangkok, is the youngest child of Thaksin and Khunying Potjaman Damapong.
She completed her secondary education at St. Joseph Convent School and Mater Dei School before she obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Chulalongkorn College in 2007.
In 2008, she continued her studies at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, majoring in International Hospitality Management.
She entered politics in 2021 officially when she was introduced as the party’s chief advisor for participation and innovation during the Pheu Thai Party’s annual general meeting at the Khon Kaen International Convention and Exhibition Center.
In 2023, Paetongtarn was elected as the new leader of the Pheu Thai Party without opposition during the party's general meeting in Bangkok.
She is currently a Deputy Chairman of Soft Power Strategic Committee and also Deputy Chairman of National Health System Development Committee.
-- BERNAMA
