Party close to Thai ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra names his daughter Paetongtarn as adviser

The country’s largest opposition party, Pheu Thai, announced that she has been appointed chief of its Inclusion and Innovation Advisory Committee

Thaksin, who has mostly been in self-imposed exile since he was toppled in 2006, has been raising his profile amid rumours of new elections

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Paetongtarn Shinawatra delivers a speech during annual Pheu Thai Party meeting in Khon Kaen province on Thursday. Photo: Pheu Thai Party via AP

Published: 6:30am, 29 Oct 2021

The youngest daughter of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose ousting by a military coup in 2006 triggered years of political instability, has taken a post with a party closely associated with her father.

Thailand’s largest opposition party, Pheu Thai, announced Thursday that Paetongtarn Shinawatra was named chief of its Inclusion and Innovation Advisory Committee at its general assembly in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen.

Paetongtarn, 35, currently serves as chief executive officer of a company in the hospitality sector.

Her appointment comes as Thaksin, 72, who has been in self-imposed exile most of the time since he was toppled, has been increasing his profile amid rumours that current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha may call new elections. Thaksin is widely seen as seeking some sort of political comeback.

Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra welcomes his guests for the wedding of his youngest daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra at a hotel in Hong Kong in March 2019. Photo: AP

Thaksin is a billionaire whose populist policies won him strong electoral support. He now lives mostly in Dubai to avoid serving prison time in Thailand on corruption charges he says were politically motivated.

He is a contentious figure whose fall set off a sometimes violent struggle for power between his supporters and his opponents, who accused him of abuse of power and corruption. His supporters say the traditional Thai establishment feared losing power because of his popularity, which he has retained among many voters.