Paetongtarn Shinawatra

Paetongtarn Shinawatra (born August 21, 1986, Bangkok, Thailand) is a Thai businesswoman and politician who serves as the 31st prime minister of Thailand (2024– ). She is the daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the second woman to hold the office, following her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra.

Early life and education

Paetongtarn was born into a wealthy merchant family of Chinese descent who had settled in the Chiang Mai region and later became prominent in politics and various business sectors, including telecommunications, real estate, and hospitality. Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was ousted from the office of prime minister in a 2006 military coup and subsequently went into a 15-year self-imposed exile. In 2008 he was tried in absentia and convicted on corruption charges. Her mother, Potjaman Na Pombejra, is a Thai businessperson, philanthropist, and politician who briefly served as an unelected leader of the Pheu Thai Party (PTP; “For Thais Party”) while it was in opposition in 2020.

Paetongtarn attended Saint Joseph Convent School and the prestigious Mater Dei School, which was also attended by two Thai kings and other royals. Growing up in a prominent political family, she frequently attracted media attention. In 2004, while her father was serving as prime minister, she made headlines for working part-time at a McDonald’s in Thailand. Thaksin Shinawatra helped publicize this event by bringing a press entourage to the location on her first day and telling the media that he wanted his children to learn the value of hard work.

Paetongtarn then attended Chulalongkorn University, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in political science, sociology, and anthropology. While she was a student there in 2006, a crisis broke out between her father and the conservative royalist elites. Professors publicly criticized him and students put up posters attacking her father. The conflict escalated, culminating in the military coup which ousted Thaksin, forcing Paetongtarn to take refuge in a safe house as troops seized control of the country. She graduated in 2008 and went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom, where she earned a master’s degree in international hotel management. In 2019 she married Pidok Sooksawas, a former airplane pilot who transitioned to investment management. The couple has a daughter and a son, who was born during Paetongtarn’s campaign for prime minister in 2023.

Before entering Thai politics, Paetongtarn worked with her family’s business conglomerate, serving as the chief executive officer of Rende Development Co.’s hotel business. She was also the largest shareholder of SC Asset Corp. Pcl, a publicly traded real estate and property firm.

Entry into politics

Paetongtarn formally entered politics in 2021 when she joined the PTP, the party founded by her father, as head of the Inclusion and Innovation Advisory Committee. At a PTP meeting on March 20, 2022, Paetongtarn was introduced as the leader of the “Pheu Thai Family” campaign, aimed at fostering party unity and winning the upcoming election. In 2023 she was selected to serve as one of three prime ministerial candidates backed by the party. She campaigned on a number of issues, including ending the military administration led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who had ruled since a coup in 2014.

In the 2023 Thai general election, the populist PTP competed with the military-backed, traditionalist Ruam Thai Sang Chart (RTSC; “United Thai Nation Party”), the progressive and youth-focused Move Forward Party (MFP), and dozens of smaller parties. The vote on May 14, 2023, resulted in an upset win for the MFP, in which it gained the plurality of the seats in the Thai House of Representatives but did not win an outright majority. However, the MFP failed to form a coalition government and was ultimately excluded from the governing coalition formed by the PTP, the RTSC, and other smaller parties. In August 2023 the coalition government elected PTP member and businessman Srettha Thavisin as the prime minister. Srettha then appointed Paetongtarn as the deputy chairperson of the National Committee on Soft Power Strategy. Soon after the selection of Srettha, Thaksin Shinawatra returned from exile. Some analysts speculated that his return was part of an agreement between PTP and the military-backed royalists to prevent the MFP from advancing its reformist policies.

Advancement to prime minister

In July 2024, 40 current and former members of the military-influenced Senate filed a petition requesting that the Thai Constitutional Court review Srettha’s appointment of Pichit Chuenban to his cabinet as office minister. According to media reports, Paetongtarn supported Srettha in the case. However, on August 14, 2024, the Constitutional Court, in a narrow 5–4 decision, ruled that Prime Minister Srettha must step down, owing to his appointment of Pichit Chuenban, who had a 2008 conviction for bribing an official.

The Thai parliament convened two days later to select the next prime minister, and the PTP nominated Paetongtarn as Srettha’s replacement. She received 319 votes in the House, with 145 against and 27 abstaining, securing her position as the prime minister. She then received approval from King Vajiralongkorn, becoming the fourth member of her extended family to hold the office.

Paetongtarn assumed office with little formal experience in governance, as Thailand faced an ongoing economic downturn. She has attributed the sluggish economy to political conflicts and emphasized the need for stability. Additionally, she has vowed to continue Thailand’s social guaranteed income program and hand out one-time payments of 10,000 baht (about $290) to low-income Thai citizens via digital wallets. Additional policy proposals included efforts to increase human capital in Thailand, infrastructural and agricultural projects, and legalized gambling to address the economic challenges facing Thai households, promising “to bring the hope of Thai people back as soon as possible.” However, questions remain regarding her policies and her coalition’s stability, as many Thai voters have lost faith in the PTP.