Her father was ousted by a military coup in 2006. Her aunt was forced from power in 2014. Now 36-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the latest member of the influential political family to run to become Thailand’s next leader.
At a rally in Nonthaburi, north of Bangkok, on Wednesday night, Paetongtarn, known as Ung Ing, was officially announced as one of three prime ministerial candidates in May’s election for Pheu Thai, the party associated with her hugely popular but divisive father, Thaksin Shinawatra.
“We will help to bring back democracy, give a better life [to the people], and bring back the wealth to the country that has disappeared for almost a decade,” she told crowds gathered at a stadium in Nonthaburi.
Her party has promised to revive and modernise Thailand’s economy, which it says has languished under prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former army general who first came to power in a coup. It has also pledged cash handouts and an increase in the minimum wage from between 328 and 354 baht ($9.64 – $10.41) to 600 baht ($17.65) a day.
The election will pit Paetongtarn, who could become Thailand’s youngest prime minister, against former army chiefs including Prayuth, 68, and Prawit Wongsuwon, 77. Paetongtarn, who has ranked ahead in polls, has vowed to win by a landslide.
“I believe people will trust in Pheu Thai to let Pheu Thai take care of you,” she told supporters on Wednesday.
Parties associated with the billionaire Shinawatra family have won the most seats in every election since 2001 – and have been repeatedly removed from government.
Some supporters at the rally on Wednesday night wore T-shirts bearing the name “Tony Woodsome”, which is Thaksin’s alias on Clubhouse, where he holds regular political talks from abroad.
Even if Pheu Thai performs strongly in next month’s election, they may not win enough votes to overpower the influence of Thailand’s 250 unelected, military-appointed senators, who play a role in selecting the prime minister.
“You probably remember how our power was stolen by the coup,” Paetongtarn said to the crowd. The coup had hurt everyone, she said. “None of us want it any more, right? None of us want any more coups, right?”
Paetongtarn, who is more than eight months pregnant, said she will use Zoom to meet voters in other provinces in the final weeks before the vote.
Growing up in politics
Paetongtarn, the youngest of three children born to Thaksin and his then wife Potjaman Damapong, grew up in Bangkok, attending fee-paying schools in the centre of the city. She was exposed to politics from a young age, and would follow her father around when he became foreign minister.
Thaksin, a former policeman and telecoms tycoon, developed a hugely loyal following, especially among rural voters in the north, after he introduced policies such as affordable healthcare.
He was deeply opposed by Bangkok’s elite, however, who accused him of abuse of power and corruption. Rights groups also strongly criticised his violent anti-drugs crackdowns, in which 2,500 people were killed.
If successful, Paetongtarn would be the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to become prime minister. Thaksin’s brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat was prime minister briefly during 2008, and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra was prime minister from 2011 until 2014. Both were forced from office by court rulings.
The court ruling against Yingluck – who was Thailand’s first female prime minister and the youngest in generations – was followed by a coup that saw her detained on the orders of General Prayuth Chan-ocha, who is now prime minister. Both Thaksin and Yingluck are reportedly now living in Dubai.
Paetongtarn was a university student when tanks rolled on to the streets and her father was ousted from power. Studying at Bangkok’s conservative Chulalongkorn University, she later said she faced hostility from peers who fiercely opposed her father. She moved to the UK to study a master’s degree in international hotel management at the University of Surrey, and went on to work in the family’s business empire.
Thaksin left Thailand as he faced criminal cases linked to his time in office. He has repeatedly said he will return, stating most recently that he was prepared to serve time in prison.
Paetongtarn has previously denied that, if in power, she would help to facilitate his return. “He wants to come back to be with his grandchild and his family. He wants to die here in Thailand. His coming back is not to create chaos,” she said in a recent interview with the Standard, a Thai news outlet.
Although Paetongtarn could become Thailand’s youngest prime minister, it is unclear how much support she will receive from younger voters.
In 2020 younger generations took to the streets to demand reforms to the country’s powerful monarchy and its strict lese majesty law – a subject that she has carefully skirted. The opposition party Move Forward is the only party that has addressed the matter.
Asked if she would support an amnesty for the more than 200 people, including some children, who face lese majesty charges, Paetongtarn said such issues could be discussed in the future. “We all need to talk,” she said.
The elections will be held on 14 May.
