Critics say she lacks experience, but she has her father’s guiding hand to lean on.
BANGKOK – On the campaign trail in rural Thailand in 2023, Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra reminded voters of her influential billionaire family’s legacy of populism in what was her electoral debut., delivered mixed results. Her Pheu Thai party came in second in 2023’s election but cobbled together a ruling coalition after the vote-winner was blocked by military-backed lawmakers.
She would seek to beat another recurring theme for the Shinawatra family. The governments led by her father and aunt were toppled by the military in 2006 and 2014, respectively. It was an unlikely coming together of the populist Pheu Thai and the conservative-royalist establishment that have battled for supremacy in the country of 66 million people for over two decades, sometimes leading to coups and bouts of civil unrest.
“She will be under scrutiny. She will be under a lot of pressure,” said Mr Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University.If she becomes Thailand’s next prime minister, Ms Paetongtarn Shinawatra will likely have her father Thaksin guiding her. PHOTO: AFP Mr Thaksin found his way to the premiership by 2001, and expanded spending on healthcare, rural development and farming subsidies – dubbed “Thaksinomics” for the poor.Entering university in Thailand after his unceremonious exit, Ms Paetongtarn – also known by her nickname Ung Ing – described those years as some of her toughest, when she was also accused of cheating.
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