Thaksin Shinawatra's daughter, Paetongtarn, won a parliament vote to become the youngest Prime Minister and Asian country's second female leader of Thailand on Friday, August 16. The 37-year-old was the third from her billionaire family to serve as premier after the ill-fated tenures of her father, Thaksin and aunt Yingluck ended in military coups.
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Paetongtarn's rise to power was triggered by the court-ordered removal on Wednesday of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin. A cabinet reshuffle brokered by Thaksin and Yingluck in April saw the appointment of Shinawatra family lawyer Pichit Chuenban to the prime minister's office.
As founder of the Pheu Thai party and one of Thailand's foremost power brokers, the 75-year-old Thaksin will inevitably cast a long shadow over his youngest daughter's government.