Reuters reported that the Thai King's approval document was read by House Speaker Apat Sukhanand at a ceremony in Bangkok on August 18, 2024.
Ms. Paetongtarn knelt down and paid homage in front of a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn before giving a short speech thanking the king and the people for supporting her as prime minister.
"As the head of the executive branch, I will do my duty with lawmakers with an open heart" - Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra said.
"I will listen to all opinions to together move the country forward with stability" - Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra added.
Ms. Paetongtarn, 37 years old, became Thailand's youngest Prime Minister just a few days after Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was dismissed by the Constitutional Court for violating the Constitution in appointing cabinet personnel.
Mr. Srettha, a leader with a background in real estate business, was sued by a group of former senators because they said he violated the Thai Constitution by appointing to the cabinet a lawyer who had been in prison.
Ms. Paetongtarn - daughter of influential politician Thaksin Shinawatra - passed the House of Representatives vote on August 16, winning 319 votes, or nearly 2/3 of the votes in the House of Representatives, to become female Prime Minister. Thailand's second general.
Ms. Paetongtarn became the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold the position of Prime Minister of Thailand after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra and father Thaksin Shinawatra .
Ms Paetongtarn - who has never served in government before - will face challenges on many fronts, with the economy faltering and support for her Pheu Thai Party waning. Meanwhile, the Thai Government has not yet implemented a cash support program for people via e-wallets worth 500 billion baht (14.46 billion USD).
