Thai election: as Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn readies for May 14 vote, army and youth pose major challenges

Paetongtarn faces challenges from the pro-military camp backing incumbent PM Prayuth on the right and the youth-centric Move Forward Party on the left

Pro-democracy parties yearn for a different course from former army chief Prayuth, while the Shinawatra brand name is incendiary to the country’s royalists

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Paetongtarn Shinawatra is one of the opposition Pheu Thai party’s top politicians that it is set to nominate to become the next prime minister. Photo: AP

Published: 11:00am, 25 Mar 2023Updated: 11:06am, 25 Mar 2023

Paetongtarn Shinawatra whispered a short prayer at a Bangkok shrine as she headed into eight weeks that will decide whether Thailand’s most successful political dynasty returns to power, after being sidelined by the military for nearly a decade.

Thailand goes to the polls on May 14 with pro-democrats aching for a course-correction after nearly nine years of government by former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha. He took power in a 2014 coup before reinventing himself as a civilian leader.

The Shinawatra brand is now fronted by Paetongtarn, a 36-year-old better known as “Ung-Ing”, who is pregnant with her second child. The family’s electoral vehicle, Pheu Thai, is likely to win millions of votes, especially from the north and northeast, where loyalty to her father Thaksin runs deep.

But the Shinawatra surname is an incendiary one to many in Thailand’s conservative royalist establishment who accuse Thaksin and his affiliated parties of gobbling up too much power, influence and wealth during their time in charge.

The Shinawatra brand is now fronted by Paetongtarn (middle left), a 36-year-old better known as “Ung-Ing”, who is pregnant with her second child. Photo: EPA-EFE

“We are ready to rescue the country,” Paetongtarn told reporters on March 21 outside the City Pillar shrine where Bangkok residents seek blessings.

“We are very ready to go on campaigning and to explain our policies in greater detail, but in the end it’s about the people; whether they choose us or not, the power is in their hands.”