Former Premie Thaksin’s daughter, Prime Minister Patongtan Sinawatra, has won the support of 319 of the 488 Thai lawmakers.
Thai Prime Minister Paetong Tarun Sinawatra survived the unconfident vote in Parliament and defeated a challenge from the opposition who accused her father of former billionaire Thaksin Sinawatra.
After two days of debate and her lack of experience when opposition parties attacked 38-year-old Peetongaghn’s management of the economy and national security, lawmakers voted 319 votes on Wednesday with seven abstentions.
Paetongtarn thanked her supporters after winning the vote.
“Every vote is both pros and cons and will be a driving force for me and Cabinet to continue working hard for people,” she wrote on Facebook.
Movement comes at a bad time for Paetongtarn. Public confidence in her coalition government’s ability to solve national issues is low at just 38.55%.
Her father, Thaksin, was the most influential and controversial politician in modern Thai history. He returned to the kingdom in 2023 after 15 years of self-exile.
Before being forgiven by the King, Thaksin served eight years in prison for historic corruption and abuse of power charges at a police hospital, burning rumors of a deal in the back room to generously treat him.
The 75-year-old is popular among millions of poor Thais who thrived under the rules of 2001-2006, but he is being under the conservative elites of the kingdom, who view him as corruption and manipulation.
Paetongtarn became the head of the coalition government and prime minister last year led by the Pheu Thai Party. This is the latest incarnation of a political movement founded by Thaksin after incumbent Srettha Thavisin was abandoned by court orders.
Not only is she the youngest person to steal leadership, Paetongtarn is Thailand’s second female prime minister, following her aunt who was taken away in a coup in 2014.
Thaksin’s shadow is approaching large
In the condemnation debate, Langsiman Roma, an outspoken MP for the main opposition People’s Party, denounced Petongaghn for his prioritization of engineering treatment for his father.
“You made a contract, a demonic deal to make your father better than the other prisoners,” he told Congress.
“The condition was that your father wouldn’t go to prison for a day.”
Paetongtarn denied the allegations, noting that he became prime minister a few months after his father’s royal pardon.
Thaksin has since spoken openly about government policies, but has repeatedly said that he will only provide advice from his daughter.
Opposition lawmakers also accused Paetongtarn of mistakenly avoiding taxes in the case of 40 Uyghur people sent to China later last month.
Repatriation of Uyghurs has prompted international condemnation, with the US imposing a visa ban on some Thai officials.
