Daughter of exiled Thai PM Thaksin proclaims intention to run for prime minister

The daughter of Thailand’s exiled former leader Thaksin Shinawatra has announced her intention to run for prime minister in this year’s election, as the opposition strives to retake power eight years after being deposed by a coup.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, whose father Thaksin and aunt Yingluck Shinawatra previously headed administrations overthrown by the military, will run under the Pheu Thai Party, the newest version of a populist organization started two decades ago by her affluent family.

“Yes, I am prepared,” she told reporters late on Sunday (15 January) in northeast Thailand, the rural bastion of the Shinawatras, which has given them extraordinary majorities in five elections since 2001.

“We want the party to win the election by a landslide so that we can keep our promises to the people,” she stated.

In the 2019 election, Pheu Thai, which is immensely popular among the rural and urban working classes, gained the most seats but was unable to form a government.

Keep Reading

The removal of Shinawatra-aligned administrations by the military and the courts has fueled Thailand’s apparently intractable political dilemma, which has ebbed and flowed for over 17 years.

Paetongtarn, 36, has participated in party rallies over the last year and has topped opinion surveys for prime minister candidates in recent months, far ahead of incumbent Prayut Chan-o-cha, who as army leader ousted Yingluck’s administration.

Both Yingluck and Thaksin are residing abroad to evade prison terms imposed by the military government.

Since 2014, Prayuth has been in control, first as junta leader and then as prime minister chosen by parliament following a 2019 election that, according to his detractors, was held under conditions meant to keep him in power. He claims he earned the position honestly.

Last Monday, Prayuth, 68, joined the new United Thai Nation Party, alluding to a campaign to stay prime minister.

He has yet to dissolve the legislature, and elections must be held by the end of May.

Katherine S

1/4 German, 3/4 Malaysian. I write, follow and monitor closely political news happening in Malaysia, and other happening news in the ASEAN region. Newswriter for the best ASEAN news website - The Asian Affairs.

Recent Posts

Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024

The 2024 Vietnam International Defense Expo was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 19, 2024 and…

December 22, 2024

Shooting concludes: Stranger Things 5 to release on Netflix in 2025

Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things is one of the most popular sci-fi horror series globally. It is set…

December 21, 2024

China’s Hypersonic Expansion in Asia Raises Alarms for India

According to the US Department of Defense, China has now produced the most sophisticated supply of hypersonic weapons in the…

December 21, 2024

Melaka International Halal Festival 2024

The Melaka International Halal Festival 2024 aims to turn the city as the prime center of the Halal products and…

December 21, 2024

Chunichi Dragons Renews the Contract of Hiroto Takahashi with Annual Salary of 120 million yen

On Saturday, the stalwart of Chunichi Dragons Pitcher, Hiroto Takahashi attended the negotiation for his contract renewal for the next…

December 21, 2024

Biden-Harris administration cancels another $4.28 billion in US student loans

US President Joe Biden has cancelled another $4.28 billion in student loans for nearly 55,000 people across the country, the…

December 20, 2024

This website uses cookies.

Read More