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THAILAND’S Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Wednesday sailed through a no-confidence vote in parliament, emerging unscathed from a two-day opposition onslaught and reaffirming the stability of her ruling coalition.
Reuters reported today that Thailand's youngest prime minister won the backing of 319 of 488 lawmakers present, despite a barrage of barbs during a censure debate that accused her of being unqualified, lacking economic knowledge, evading tax and taking direction from influential father and political heavyweight Thaksin Shinawatra.
The confidence vote was an early test of the premier's mandate more than seven months after she was unexpectedly thrust into the political spotlight having never held public office, replacing ally Srettha Thavisin following his removal by a court over an ethics violation.
Paetongtarn, 38, the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to hold the top job, had shrugged off all allegations, insisting she was giving her best for the country and should be judged by her work, not her family ties.
Despite her lukewarm ratings in opinion polls and economic growth far adrift of regional peers, Wednesday's vote indicates Paetongtarn's coalition remains solid, lowering the prospect of near-term instability in a county fraught with intermittent political turmoil.
Governments led by Pheu Thai and its predecessors, all led by or controlled by Thaksin, have been removed by courts or military coups, underscoring deep-rooted animosity between the polarising billionaire and powerful conservatives with influence over key institutions.
Paetongtarn has insisted her government is not under anyone's influence, while Thaksin has said he is retired and only offers advice.
CNBC cited that a poll by Thailand’s National Institute of Development in February revealed that just 45.12% of respondents were satisfied with Paetongtarn’s first six months in office.
Public confidence in her coalition government’s capability to resolve national problems is even lower, at only 38.55%.
Thailand’s full year GDP growth for 2024 came in at 2.5%, the weakest among the ASEAN-6 countries, according to McKinsey, while the country’s SET index has plunged over 15% year to date.
The ASEAN-6 countries refer to Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. – March 26, 2025