Billionaire heiress Paetongtarn Shinawatra on Friday is set to be Thailand's youngest-ever prime minister after having received the backing of a majority of lawmakers in the country's parliament.

Shinawatra is the 37-year-old daughter of billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the niece of another former prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra. She has never held elected office before.

The Pheu Thai party selected her as its candidate after a court sacked Premier Srettha Thavisin on Wednesday for appointing a cabinet member with a criminal conviction.

Pheu Thai and its partners hold 314 seats in parliament and Paetongtarn needed the backing of more than half of the current 493 lawmakers to become prime minister.

Who is Paetongtarn Shinawatra?

The Shinawatra family has held significant sway over Thailand's politics and economy for decades, at times locking horns with the influential establishment and the royalist military.

Paetontarn, who is known in Thailand by her nickname Ung Ing, helped run the hotel arm of the family's business empire before entering politics three years ago.

She has grown her public profile and maintained a near-constant presence on the campaign trail during the 2023 elections, attending events despite being visibly pregnant.

Her first public comment on the win was an Instagram post of her lunch, chicken and rice, with the caption: "The first meal after listening to the vote."

But her pivot to politics comes as Pheu Thai's popularity dwindles. She has urged the public to be patient on polices that the government has yet to deliver, such as its flagship cash handout program worth 500 billion baht (€13 billion; $14.3 billion).

"It has only been one year ... I will push all the Pheu Thai policies for success," Shinawatra said. "We are determined and ready to push the country forward."

If confirmed, she would be Thailand's youngest-ever prime minister and the second woman to hold the office, after her aunt.

zc/lo,rm (AFP, Reuters)