Paetongtarn Shinawatra says she is glad and honored after the vote.
I hope to improve the quality of life and strengthen all Thais, she says at a press conference.
Before she takes office, she must receive the official support of the royal house, which is still unclear when it will happen.
Friday's vote followed the dismissal of the former prime minister, Paetongtarn's party colleague Srettha Thavisin, on Wednesday – after less than a year in office. Behind the dismissal lay senators appointed by the country's powerful military.
The senators have previously also forced out both Thaksin and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra from power.
Campaigned heavily pregnant
Thai politics has been marked by instability over the past two decades, with coups, power struggles, and large-scale popular protests. Behind the scenes, the military is still believed to rule with an iron fist after its coup in 2014. Just a week ago, the country's constitutional court dissolved the large party Kao Klai, which won last year's election with promises to reduce the military's power and the monarchy's – but was not allowed to take power.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai party, grew up in Bangkok and later studied in the UK. During the election campaign last year, she made headlines when she was eight months pregnant – and gave birth to a child just two weeks before the election.
Her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, was forced out of power in a coup in 2006 and went into exile to avoid a prison sentence for alleged corruption.
Standing on her own feet?
The popular billionaire and telecom magnate Thaksin returned to Thailand just over a year ago. He was arrested, but released on bail in February after being detained for six months.
Many analysts are now wondering how much he will influence his daughter's politics. The 37-year-old has previously claimed that she, despite her political heritage, stands on her own feet and makes her own decisions.
Paetongtarn's biggest challenge will be to get Thailand's pandemic-hit economy back on track, analysts predict – as well as proving that she is not just her father's puppet.
Thai domestic politics can be described as a power struggle between supporters of a traditional elite – the military, the royal house, and the state administration – and a broad group that opposes them.
The largest party in parliament after the 2023 election was the progressive and youth-friendly Kao Klai. The party went to the election with promises to ease the country's strict lese-majesty laws and abolish the military's political influence – but was never allowed to take power despite its election victory.
This can be explained by the fact that the political system is heavily rigged in favor of the military, according to a constitutional amendment made after the military coup in 2014. A third of the national assembly and the entire senate are appointed by the military.
Earlier in August, Thailand's constitutional court dissolved Kao Klai. According to the court, the party's election promises constituted an attempt to overthrow the Thai monarchy. The move against Kao Klai has been condemned by the EU, the US, the UN, and several human rights organizations.
Parties that challenge the military and monarchical establishment in Thailand have also previously been disqualified in various ways.
Sources: Landguiden/UI and others.
