Shinawatra becomes the youngest Prime Minister of Thailand

Thailand’s Parliament has elected 37-year-old leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister on Friday. She is the youngest leader in the history of Thailand, that is government by the constitutional monarchy. After none of the other 10 parties in the coalition put forward an alternative, the Pheu Thai Party on Thursday nominated Paetongtarn as its alternate candidate. The Pheu Thai Party decided to make Paetongtarn, the third member of the Shinawatra dynasty, which is considered to be an influential family in Thai politics, as the prime minister and submitted it to the parliament for approval on Friday. Paetongtarn’s father, Thaksin Shinawatra, and his sister Yongling Shinawatra, have previously served as prime ministers.

The Constitutional Court of the state found outgoing Prime Minister Shretha Thavisin guilty and dismissed her from office after hearing a case filed in the court that she had appointed a person facing criminal charges as a minister. Paetongtarn has become the second female Prime Minister of Thailand.

Born on August 21, 1986 in Bangkok, Petongtarn holds a master’s degree in International Hotel Management from the University of Surrey, UK. She joined the Pheu Thai Party in 2021 and became the party chief in October 2023. 

King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand has granted amnesty to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. On the occasion of his birthday, the Thai king has decided to grant amnesty or reduced sentences to 7,500 people. The 75-year-old former Prime Minister Shinawatra is one of them.