Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn officially endorsed Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the new prime minister of Thailand, following her election by parliament. This marks the beginning of the formation of a new Cabinet in the upcoming weeks.
During a ceremony in Bangkok, Paetongtarn paid homage to the king and expressed gratitude to the people’s representatives for their endorsement. She pledged to work with an open heart, listening to all opinions to move the country forward with stability.
At 37, Paetongtarn is the youngest prime minister in Thailand’s history. She succeeded ally Srettha Thavisin, who was dismissed by the Constitutional Court. As the daughter of political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra, she won the house vote with a significant majority.
Despite her lack of government experience, Paetongtarn faces challenges ahead, including a struggling economy and diminishing popularity of the Pheu Thai Party. She has yet to fulfill promises such as a digital wallet cash handout program worth billions of baht.