Thai king appoints Shinawatra heiress as new PM

BANGKOK:

The Thai king on Sunday formally appointed Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 37-year-old daughter of controversial billionaire ex-premier Thaksin, as Thailand's new prime minister.

Paetongtarn, the kingdom's youngest ever PM, comes to office after a court sacked the previous premier and disbanded the main opposition party, throwing Thailand's ever-febrile political scene into a new round of turmoil. She is the third Shinawatra to be prime minister, but will hope to avoid the fate of her father and aunt Yingluck, both of whom were thrown out of power in military coups.

Paetongtarn received King Maha Vajiralongkorn's official written command to form a government in a ceremony at the headquarters of a former pro-Thaksin TV station soon after 9:30 am (0230 GMT). She called on all Thais to work together to help revitalise the country's sluggish economy, which has struggled to bounce back from the Covid-19 pandemic.

"As head of the government I will work with parliament with an open heart, open to all ideas to help develop the country," she said after the ceremony.