Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has successfully weathered a no-confidence vote in parliament, defeating a challenge from opposition parties who accused her of being a puppet of her father, the influential billionaire and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Al Jazeera reports.
Following a two-day debate where the opposition criticized the 38-year-old Paetongtarn’s handling of the economy, national security, and questioned her overall experience, members of parliament voted down the no-confidence motion on Wednesday by a margin of 319 to 162, with seven abstentions.
After securing the victory, Paetongtarn expressed her gratitude to her supporters.
“All votes, both for and against, will be a force driving me and the cabinet to carry on working hard for the people,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
This challenge came at a sensitive time for Paetongtarn, as public confidence in her coalition government’s ability to address national issues remains low, at just 38.55 percent.
Her father, Thaksin, remains a pivotal yet divisive figure in modern Thai history. He returned to Thailand in 2023 after spending 15 years in self-imposed exile.
Thaksin briefly served a few months of an eight-year prison sentence in a police hospital for historical corruption and abuse of power charges before receiving a royal pardon, fueling speculation about a behind-the-scenes agreement granting him lenient treatment.
Despite his legal troubles, the 75-year-old Thaksin still enjoys considerable popularity among millions of working-class Thais who benefited during his time in power from 2001 to 2006. However, he is also viewed with disdain by the kingdom’s conservative elite, who consider him to be corrupt and manipulative.
Paetongtarn assumed the role of Prime Minister last year, leading a coalition government headed by the Pheu Thai Party, the latest iteration of the political movement founded by her father Thaksin. This followed the removal of the previous Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, by a court order.
Paetongtarn is not only the youngest person to hold the office but is also only the second female Prime Minister in Thailand’s history, following her aunt, who was ousted in a coup in 2014.
In addition to the claims of being unduly influenced by her father, opposition members of parliament also accused Paetongtarn of tax avoidance and mishandling the case of 40 Uighurs who were repatriated to China late last month.
The repatriation of the Uighurs led to international criticism, including the United States imposing visa restrictions on some Thai officials.
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