Political dynasties exist in countries across the world, but their influence appears to be growing in Southeast Asia.
In Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines and Indonesia, the children of veteran leaders are taking up the baton of power once carried by their fathers. A political dynasty is a family where several members, often spanning generations, are involved in politics.
The political family members may be related by blood or by marriage. Also, a large majority are elected representatives rather than top government leaders.
Famous political dynasties include the Gandhi family in India, the Trudeaus in Canada, and the Kennedys, the Bushes and the Clintons in the United States.
In the US alone, some 700 families are considered “political dynasties”, defined by having two or more members who have served in Congress.
These dynasties account for 1,700 of about 10,000 people elected to Congress since 1774, according to Stephen Hess, a former professor of media and public affairs at George Washington University.
Thailand’s most powerful
Thailand is home to several political dynasties both large and small, but the Shinawatra family is undoubtedly the most powerful and influential
So far, four of its members have become prime minister.
Its patriarch Thaksin Shinawatra served as prime minister for two terms from February 2001 to September 2006, with his sister Yingluck Shinawatra and brother-in-law Somchai Wongsawat following in his footsteps.
Now, Thaksin’s youngest daughter Paetongtarn, who turned 38 on August 21, has become the country’s youngest prime minister.
The previous record-holder was MR Seni Pramoj, who assumed office in 1945 at the age of 40. Seni also came from a political family.
His younger brother MR Kukrit Pramoj was a party leader who served as prime minister from March 1975 to April 1976. Seni himself served for three terms as the nation’s leader during a career spanning four decades.
Paetongtarn is also Thailand’s second female PM after her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, who served from August 2011 to May 2014.
Succession in Cambodia
Cambodia saw a dynastic power handover in August last year when longtime prime minister Hun Sen stepped down after 38 years to be replaced by his son, Hun Manet.
Many children of Hun Sen’s political allies also joined Manet’s new cabinet. Hun Manet, 46, graduated from the US Military Academy (West Point) and earned a master’s degree from New York University and a doctorate from the University of Bristol in the UK.
Indonesia’s new political dynasty
Indonesia’s outgoing President Joko Widodo is accused of trying to forge a political dynasty by proposing his eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as Prabowo Subianto’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election.
Subianto, defence minister in Widodo’s outgoing administration, won the election and will assume the presidency in October when Widodo leaves office.
Widodo, popularly known as “Jokowi”, began his second and final five-year term in October 2019 and is barred by the constitution from running again.
However, his first son is now the vice president-elect.
In addition to the Widodo family, Indonesia has several other notable political dynasties. These include former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, who is the daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno, and ex-presidents BJ Habibie and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Elsewhere in Southeast Asia
In Singapore, the previous leader Lee Hsien Loong is the son of the island state’s founding father and first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew. Lee Hsien Loong, the third prime minister of Singapore, served for almost 20 years from August 2004 to May 2024.
The Philippines has at least three prominent political dynasties – the Marcos, Aquino and Macapagal families.
Diosdado Macapagal served as the country’s president from 1961 to 1965, and his daughter Gloria Macapagal Arroyo served from 2001 to 2010.
Ferdinand Marcos served from 1965 to 1986, and his son, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Jr, is the current president, serving since 2022.
Corazon Aquino served as president from 1986 until 1992, and her son Benigno Aquino III followed in her footsteps from 2010 to 2016.
In Malaysia, Abdul Razak Hussein served as prime minister from 1970 to 1976, and his son, Najib Razak, held the post from 2009 to 2018.
In Laos, the families of Kaysone Phomvihane and Khamtai Siphandone, former general secretaries of the ruling Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, hold numerous key political positions.
Khamtai’s son, Sonexay Siphandone, is the current prime minister while Kaysone’s son, Saysomphone Phomvihane, is president of the National Assembly.
