Paetongtarn Shinawatra

Paetongtarn Shinawatra (แพทองธาร ชินวัตร; ; nicknamed Ung Ing; born 21 August 1986) is a Thai politician and businesswoman who is the current leader of the Pheu Thai Party. A member of the Shinawatra political family, she is the youngest daughter and niece of the two former Thai prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck, respectively.

Early life and education
Paetongtarn Shinawatra was born in Bangkok. She went to Saint Joseph Convent School for junior high school and Mater Dei School for high school. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology from the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University in 2008 and continued her studies in England, earning a MSc degree in International Hotel Management from the University of Surrey.

Paetongtarn is the No. 1 shareholder of SC Asset Corporation and a director of the Thaicom Foundation. She is married to Pitaka Suksawat and they have two children; a daughter and a son.

Political career
At a meeting of the Pheu Thai Party on 20 March 2022, Paetongtarn was elected as "Head of the Pheu Thai Family". When speaking at the Pheu Thai Party's annual general meeting in April 2022, she said that she wants to see regime change in Thailand and wants to gain more experience before standing for the post of the country's prime minister.

Paetongtarn became the leading prime minister-candidate in the opinion polls. In April 2023, she was officially nominated as one of the three prime minister-candidates of Pheu Thai Party for general election, along with Srettha Thavisin and Chaikasem Nitisiri. Following weeks of debate, Srettha was elected prime minister by the parliament of Thailand.

On 27 October 2023, Paetongtarn was elected by the PTP’s core members during a general assembly held at the party’s head office to become the party’s new leader, receiving 289 votes with one abstention.

Social issues
Paetongtarn is socially liberal on most issues. She supports LGBT rights and attended the Bangkok Pride Parade in 2023 along with the MFP’s Pita Limjaroenrat. Additionally, she supports rewriting the constitution and scrapping military conscription. However, she opposes amending Thailand's lèse-majesté laws. Like her party, Paetongtarn supports stricter drug control and tough-on-crime measures.

Although Paetongtarn and the PTP pledged not to form a government with military linked parties such as United Thai Nation and Palang Pracharath, the PTP-led government consisted of both parties which led to widespread criticism.

Economics
In a 2023 interview with FAROSE, Paetongtarn called herself a "socially liberal capitalist." Paetongtarn stated that her party and Srettha Thavisin wants to focus on bread and butter issues and improving the economy. She supports "capitalism with empathy" along with gradually raising the minimum wage and implementing a ฿10,000 'digital wallet' scheme.

In May 2024, Paetongtarn told party members at an event held at Pheu Thai headquarters "The law that keeps the Bank of Thailand (BoT) independent from the government … is a problem and a significant obstacle in fixing economic problems," referencing the decade high interest rate of 2.50% which Srettha Thavisin believes was hurting small businesses and hurting government efforts to jumpstart an economy he says is in crisis. Paetongtarn said BoT monetary policy "refuses to understand and cooperate" and would hamper efforts to reduce high levels of debt.

Royal decorations
2005 – The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn, 6th Class, Gold Medal (G.M.T.)