Thai family dynasty to reclaim power

The daughter of Thailand’s divisive former leader Thaksin Shinawatra is set to become the country’s next, and youngest, prime minister. After the removal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, Thailand’s ruling coalition rallied behind 37-year-old Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who has never held an elected governing position. The move surprised analysts who believed the tycoon Thaksin would “shield his youngest daughter from Thailand’s cutthroat politics for a little longer,” Reuters wrote.

But if the parliament confirms her Friday, Paetongtarn — whose aunt was Thailand’s first female leader — will underline her family’s dynastic domination in Thai politics. She will have major hurdles to overcome, including a lackluster economy and the notion of being Thaksin’s puppet, Bloomberg wrote, but ultimately “will have to rely on her father,” a political scientist said.