Fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s youngest daughter, Paetongtarn, has been named “head of the Pheu Thai Family”, a new position created by the party at its meeting held in the north-eastern province of Udon Thani on Sunday.
About 1,500 party heavyweights, members and supporters attended the meeting, dubbed “Pheu Thai Family: A Big Home with the Same Heart”.
Incumbent Pheu Thai party leader Chonlanan Srikaew announced the appointment of Paetongtarn, nicknamed “Ing”, saying she has the bloodline which contains the DNA of a person who is determined to build this country in the name of the now defunct Thai Rak Thai Party.
Last October, the 35-year-old was named the party’s chief advisor for participation and innovations at the party’s meeting in Khon Kaen province.
Chonlanan told the meeting that the most important ability for the head of a family to possess is the ability to unite all family members and to be someone who is sympathetic to family members, as he stressed the need for Pheu Thai Party members to become one family. The Pheu Thai Family, said Chonlanan, will be a new political innovation and will protect the rights and opportunities of the people.
Paetongtarn said that anyone can join the Pheu Thai family, without membership fees, for the ultimate objective, which is to win by a landslide in the next general election, scheduled for 2023, if the House is not dissolved before then. She urged party members and supporters not to forget the party’s roots.
Paetongtarn’s appointment, according to political analysts, puts her just one step away from her being nominated as the Pheu Thai Party’s candidate for the premiership.
Like her family, Paetongtarn has been in business before joining politics. She is the Deputy CEO of Rende Development and a major shareholder of Sc Asset.
