BANGKOK — Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra successfully navigated a no-confidence vote in Parliament on Wednesday, emerging unscathed from the challenge posed by her political rivals. Over two days of intense debate, her opponents criticized her leadership, alleging that she allowed undue influence from her father, the contentious former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, to affect her administration.
Opposition lawmakers claimed that Paetongtarn’s policies and governance had been heavily swayed by Thaksin, who remains a polarizing figure in Thai politics. Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 military coup and lived in exile for several years before recently returning to Thailand. Critics argue that Paetongtarn’s administration has prioritized the interests of her family and her father’s fortunes, citing accusations of tax evasion and mismanagement of the nation’s issues, such as economic downturns, pollution, crime, and corruption.
During the vote, Paetongtarn secured 319 votes in her favor, while 161 Parliament members opposed her and another seven chose to abstain. This vote marked the first no-confidence challenge she faced since assuming office last year, succeeding after her predecessor, another leader from the Pheu Thai Party, was dismissed due to an ethical breach as determined by the Constitutional Court.
Following the vote, Paetongtarn took to social media to express her gratitude towards all participants, stating, “Every vote, whether supporting or opposing, provides motivation for me and the Cabinet to continue working diligently for our citizens.” She is at the helm of the Pheu Thai Party, which is part of a series of populist groups connected to her father. Thaksin’s political influence over the past two decades has been a flashpoint in Thailand, creating a divide between his support base composed predominantly of poor, rural citizens, and the established order of royalists, the military, and urban elites who view him as a threat to their traditional status and the esteemed monarchy.