Paetongtarn Shinawatra is seeking to push back against the military men that helped oust his father - and potentially bring him back home.
Ahead of an election on May 14, Paetongtarn Shinawatra has drawn big crowds in rural Thai farming communities that have long served as the political base of her father. The 73-year-old former prime minister and telecom tycoon, who fled in the wake of a military coup against his government, has seen his party and allies win the most seats in every national vote dating back to 2001.
The political infighting has eroded Thailand’s relative economic strength in South-East Asia and hurt engagement with the US, which had developed strong military ties with the nation during the Vietnam War. "With key parties and premiership contenders not offering dramatically different economic visions for the country, the main implications of the elections for investors will be around political uncertainty and social stability risks,” said Peter Mumford, practice head for South-East Asia at Eurasia Group.
That means Paetongtarn’s Pheu Thai party needs to win at least 376 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives to counter the Senate’s likely move to block its final candidate for prime minister. Prior to her meteoric rise, Paetongtarn had a front-row seat to her father’s career. At eight years old, she tagged along with Thaksin on his first government job as foreign minister. At 20, she hunkered down in a safe house when military tanks patrolled Bangkok streets as the army seized power from her father.
Besides her, reports suggest the party will also name property tycoon Srettha Thavisin and one other candidate. Pheu Thai said it will confirm its choices by early April.
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