Businesswoman, Influencer, and Mother: Who Is Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thailand’s Youngest Prime Minister ?

On Friday, August 16, 2024, Paetongtarn Shinawatra was elected Prime Minister of Thailand. She is the third of her name to hold power, the second woman and the youngest to have held this role.

She is the youngest Prime Minister to be elected in Thailand, Paetongtarn Shinawatra. On Friday, August 16, 2024, she becomes Prime Minister of the country and is the third leader to bear this surname.

Her father, her aunt and her

The Shinawatra dynasty is back on the political scene. Three days after the dismissal of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Tavisin, it is the daughter of Thaksin and the niece of Yingluck, both in power from 2001 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2014 respectively, then each overthrown in coups d'état.

The family clan has been at the heart of many tensions over the past 20 years, explains Le Parisien, pitting conservative elites against voters seeking change. The father reappeared in Thailand a year ago after going into hiding, including from corruption convictions, which he said were politically motivated.

The family government “Pheu Thai” is part of a coalition to confront an opposing political program, now dissolved. It is thanks to this coalition, that she was able to obtain all the votes and be elected (319 votes out of 493).

Her “secret power” ?

She is nicknamed “Ung Ing” and at 37, she becomes the youngest Prime Minister of the kingdom and the second woman, after her aunt, in power. She says “hopes to improve the quality of life and empower all Thais”, at a press conference.

She grew up in Bangkok and studied hospitality in the UK. During her campaign, she gave birth to her second child, whom she describes as her “secret power” for her first election meeting.

On Instagram, she has nearly 600,000 followers, where she shares her family life and social life. Our colleagues added that she wanted to be close to young people without distancing herself from the old ones. For some, who saw her as her father's puppet, Paetongtarn knew how to share charisma and good remarks during her campaign.