Thailand’s ruling party selected a member of Shinawatra family as new leader
On Friday, in Bangkok, the ruling Pheu Thai Party officially appointed Paetongtarn Shinawatra as its new leader, maintaining the political dominance of the wealthy Shinawatra family for the past 25 years.
Often referred to as "Ung Ing," the 37-year-old Paetongtarn was previously one of Pheu Thai's candidates for the position of prime minister in the May election, though the parliament ultimately selected Srettha Thavisin.
Following the election, the party successfully formed a coalition with conservative factions aligned with the military, as the progressive Move Forward Party, which had won the most seats, was prevented from forming a government by an unelected senate.
Expressing her gratitude to the party members for their endorsement, Paetongtarn, who hails from a family dynasty that has produced three former prime ministers, including her father Thaksin Shinawatra, pledged to build on the party's previous achievements and aimed to restore the party's top position in terms of public approval.
"Pheu Thai will continue with its important mission of improving people's livelihood," After the election in a general assembly, Paetongharm addressed a large gathering of party members at the party headquarters in Bangkok.
"We will look to the stars with our feet firmly on the ground and standing strongly by people's side."
Paetongtarn, a former businesswoman holding a degree in hotel management from the University of Surrey in England, also expressed her gratitude to her father, Thaksin, who served as a source of education and inspiration in the realms of politics and public life.
In August, on the same day when Pheu Thai managed to garner support from erstwhile adversaries, enabling the formation of a new government, Thaksin returned to Thailand, marking the end of his 15-year self-imposed exile aimed at evading corruption convictions following his ousting in a 2006 coup.
King Maha Vajiralongkorn commuted Thaksin's initial eight-year sentence to one year in September, and he is currently serving this sentence at a hospital due to his illness on the first night in prison.
These developments gave rise to speculation about a potential agreement and reconciliation between Thailand's pro-military elites and the Shinawatra family, which is popular among many for its populist policies.
The family also faces strong criticism from those who accuse them of corruption, with three members of the Shinawatra family having been removed from the premiership by elements within the pro-military establishment.
