Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former prime minister Thaksin, became the youngest politician, at the age of 37, and second woman following in the footsteps of her aunt Yingluck, to hold the position of premier.
For the encouraging start she has made to leading a government, Ms Paetongtarn is the recipient of this year's Bangkok Post Women of the Year Award.
Ms Paetongtarn is a Thai politician who has served as the 31st prime minister of Thailand since 2024 and has been the leader of the Pheu Thai Party since 2023.
Following the removal of Srettha Thavisin as prime minister by the Constitutional Court on Aug 14 last year for appointing Pichit Chuenban, an ex-convict, as PM's Office Minister in violation of the law, Ms Paetongtarn was nominated by Pheu Thai to succeed Mr Srettha.
Her nomination was approved by the House of Representatives on Aug 16 after no alternatives were named by the other parties in the ruling coalition. She was officially sworn in on Aug 18, following an endorsement from His Majesty the King, followed by her cabinet on Sept 6.
Her strong leadership and ability to make ministers and the public alike buy into the courage of her convictions have been her chief strengths, and she fully deserved her spot among the "100 World's Most Powerful Women 2024" by Forbes magazine.
Listed in 29th place, but third in Asia, she was also named on "Time 100 Next" in the leaders category by Time magazine earlier.
She also moonlights as a mother with two children. Despite only having served as prime minister for six months, Ms Paetongtarn has managed difficult circumstances, particularly during the recent floods, with subtlety and nuance that belie her lack of political experience.
She also coordinated the response to a school bus fire in Pathum Thani, in which she ordered agencies to act quickly and in time with the situation. She has also continued to push various policies initiated by the government of Mr Srettha.
Among these have been the free visa scheme to boost tourism, a three-year debt suspension for farmers, the 10,000-baht cash handout, the historic change that brings equality to marriage in the kingdom and the continuation of the successful 30-baht universal healthcare project.
Showing her skills of diplomacy, she has formed a leadership team of senior ministers from the different coalition parties committed to fostering economic growth and developing the country.
In early February, she ordered the suspension of electricity, internet, and fuel supplies to five border areas in Myanmar as part of a multinational effort to dismantle transnational scams and human trafficking networks operating in the region.
Shortly after the order, she went to China from Feb 5–8, where she emphasised Thailand's commitment to strengthening ties in sectors like electric vehicles, semiconductors, and data centres.
President Xi Jinping thanked her for Thailand's strong measures against scam networks targeting Chinese nationals and specifically praised her government's recent decision to cut off electricity to three major crime hubs just across the Thai-Myanmar border. Under her leadership, she has expedited the 10,000-baht handout, which was one of the key election promises of the ruling Pheu Thai Party, though it was originally referred to as the "digital wallet scheme".
The first phase of the 10,000-baht handout, which kicked off in September, benefited 14.5 million state welfare cardholders and disabled individuals. Its second phase kicked off in January, with about three million people aged 60 and over eligible for the cash.
Ms Paetongtarn can set herself apart from her predecessors if she can make a difference in divisive issues. She said she is a "Gen-Y" prime minister who has "facts and legal basis" to back her policymaking decisions and has called on the people to understand her way of working. Generation Y usually refers to those born between 1981 and 1997.
