New Thai Prime Minister is third in family to hold office

DW (English)

Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the daughter of former prime minister Takshin Shinawatra, one of Thailand's most controversial political figures. She's the third member of a powerful political dynasty to hold the office. DW's Georg Matthes reports.

Transcript

00:00The new Prime Minister holds a special place in this man's heart.

00:04Paisan Janpan is a huge fan of Phet-on-Tarn Chinawa,

00:08the third member of her family to hold Thailand's highest office.

00:12I'm delighted. She's an incredibly capable person.

00:18She's inherited the spirit and patience from her father,

00:22along with the valuable experience from both her father and her aunt.

00:27I'm very happy. I'm really happy.

00:30The taxi driver has met the new Prime Minister's relatives,

00:34her father Thaksin, who recently returned to Thailand from political exile,

00:39and her aunt Yingluck, both former Prime Ministers.

00:44Phet-on-Tarn Chinawa has never held elected office before.

00:48She campaigned last year in the general election for her father's party,

00:52and had to face allegations she'd be his puppet.

00:57I hope I can ask him for advice any time that I want,

01:03but not all the time, 24-7 like that, because it's not possible.

01:07I am my own person, and I have my own things and my own goals

01:12that I have to achieve in the future.

01:14Improving living conditions for people like Janpan are included in her goals,

01:20but she also promised to reduce Thailand's national debt.

01:23Political experts agree that such promises are not key to staying in power.

01:30She has to deal with the traditional elites, the old elites,

01:38to keep them at bay, to keep them from staging a coup,

01:42to keep the courts from dissolving the party,

01:47and she has to keep the factions happy.

01:52You cannot do much.

01:54Janpan's former Chinawa heroes were ousted by those elites and the military in coups.

02:01He says he's not concerned that pro-military parties,

02:04who used to be the Chinawa's foes, are propping up the government of his current hero.

02:13We can't keep looking back at past problems and conflicts.

02:16It's time for us to join hands together and reduce conflict.

02:22While building a better country and future for our people.

02:27Before entering politics, Petchontarn had been running the hotel arm of her family's business empire.

02:32Now she'll work here, the Thai parliament, as the third Chinawa prime minister.

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