On Friday, the House of Representatives elected Paetongtarn “Ung Ing” Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai Party as Thailand’s 31st prime minister. She secured 319 votes in favor, 145 against, and 27 abstentions.
Pheu Thai secretary-general Sorawong Thienthong nominated Ms. Paetongtarn as the sole candidate for prime minister as Parliament President Wan Muhamad Noor Matha opened the House meeting at 10 a.m. The motion received support from 291 MPs. Notably, Ms. Paetongtarn was absent from the meeting.
Debate on the nomination took place before the vote at 11:11 a.m., with the results officially announced at 12:34 p.m. Out of 493 elected MPs, 489 were present. Ms. Paetongtarn needed a simple majority of 248 votes, and only the votes of MPs—not senators—were required for her election.
At 37 years old, Ms. Paetongtarn becomes Thailand’s youngest prime minister. She succeeds Srettha Thavisin, who was dismissed by the Constitutional Court on Wednesday for an ethical violation.
Shinawatra Family Legacy
Ms. Paetongtarn is the third member of the Shinawatra family to serve as prime minister, following her father Thaksin Shinawatra and her aunt Yingluck. Thaksin’s brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, also briefly held the position in 2008. Both Thaksin and Yingluck fled into exile following military coups against their administrations.
Thaksin returned to Thailand in August 2023 and was sentenced to eight years in prison, later reduced to one year on a royal pardon, for abuse of authority and conflict of interest during his tenure from 2001 to 2006. He did not spend any time in prison, receiving parole after six months in the Police General Hospital.
On Thursday, coalition parties agreed to support Paetongtarn as the prime ministerial candidate. Although initial discussions had considered Chaikasem Nitisiri, a former justice minister, some Pheu Thai MPs and coalition members expressed concerns about his suitability, particularly due to his comments on amending the lese-majeste law.
The Constitutional Court had removed Srettha from office on Wednesday for appointing Pichit Chuenban as a PM’s Office minister despite his criminal record. Pichit had previously served six months in jail for contempt of court related to a bribery accusation involving Supreme Court officials.
Opposition Stance
Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the opposition People’s Party, announced that his party would not vote for the Pheu Thai candidate. The People’s Party, formerly the Move Forward Party, had been dissolved by the Constitutional Court last week for allegedly jeopardizing the constitutional monarchy and national security due to its stance on the lese-majeste law.
Although the Move Forward Party won the 2023 election, it was unable to form a government due to opposition from unelected senators. Consequently, the Pheu Thai Party formed a new coalition without Move Forward, pushing the latter into opposition.
All 143 MPs from the People’s Party and all 25 MPs from the Democrat Party voted against Ms. Paetongtarn in line with their parties’ resolutions. However, six opposition MPs from the Thai Sang Thai Party supported her, along with three MPs from smaller parties—New, Thai Teachers for People, and New Democracy.
Thai Sang Thai leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan expressed frustration with her party’s MPs for defying the party’s stance, accusing them of breaching political etiquette. Thai Sang Thai Secretary-General Thakorn Tanthasit defended the decision, stating that supporting Ms. Paetongtarn was crucial for ending the political vacuum following Mr. Srettha’s removal. He emphasized that the party had no vested interests and aimed to address the public’s needs promptly.
Khunying Sudarat, a key figure in the original Thai Rak Thai Party, which later evolved into Pheu Thai, has called for a meeting with party executives to address the situation. On her Facebook page, she assured that Thai Sang Thai remains committed to democratic principles and its role as the opposition, emphasizing the importance of adhering to the party’s resolutions.
