Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been appointed as Thailand’s new prime minister, becoming the country’s youngest-ever leader and marking the return to power of the Shinawatra family, which has dominated Thai politics over the past two decades.
Paetongtarn, 37, clinched the premiership on Friday after gaining the backing of a majority of lawmakers in the Thai parliament. She will become Asia’s youngest leader, and Thailand’s third from the Shinawatra clan after her father, the divisive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, and her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra.
Her premiership could herald a new wave of volatility in Thai politics. The Shinawatra clan has repeatedly clashed with the country’s powerful military-royalist establishment, resulting in coups and removal of pro-Thaksin leaders. Paetongtarn is backed by a shaky coalition that includes former rivals of her family, and tensions have been brewing over the past few months.