Paetongtarn Shinawatra becomes Thailand’s youngest-ever PM

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has been appointed as Thailand’s new prime minister, becoming the country’s youngest-ever leader and marking the return to power of the Shinawatra family, which has dominated Thai politics over the past two decades.

Her father was ousted from power by a military coup in 2006. Her aunt’s government suffered a similar fate eight years later.

But now 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra, known by her nickname ‘Ung Ing’ is now the new Prime Minister of Thailand.

This is indeed groundbreaking as her election makes her the youngest person and second female after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra to hold that office Thailand’s parliament voted on Friday for her to be the country’s next prime minister, thrusting another member of the kingdom’s most famed and divisive political dynasty into the top job.

This latest development came two days after Thailand’s Constitutional Court removed former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office.