NationThailand-Jan 9
The era of dual prime ministers is becoming increasingly evident in Thailand – Thaksin Shinawatra and his daughter, the official PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
This is a political dream for Thaksin. Thaksin had previously learned his lessons after giving the reins to a “prime minister outside the Shinawatra family”, particularly the case of Samak Sundaravej, who became prime minister after the People Power Party won the 2007 general election.
Thaksin was unable to control the 25th prime minister as he had hoped, leading to the rise of the “Gang of Four” to negotiate power. Eventually, Samak was replaced by Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin’s brother-in-law, who became the 26th prime minister. Similarly, in the era of Srettha Thavisin, while public appearances suggest a harmonious political alignment between Srettha and Thaksin, insiders are aware of several disagreements between the two. The Srettha government was in power at a pivotal moment when Thaksin had been granted parole, allowing him to make multiple public appearances and provide interviews on the political direction. In Paetongtarn’s era, however, Thaksin’s appearances and interviews are seen as part of a parallel political strategy — “Thaksin plans, Paetongtarn executes”. This approach has been adopted as a model for driving the country forward, free of conflict or division. As Thaksin is the father of the PM, and Paetongtarn is the daughter of a former PM, competition between them does not arise. Instead, their “dual prime ministerial system” complements their strengths, with roles clearly divided—one passes, the other scores. Thus, the “dual prime minister” strategy positions Thaksin as the behind-the-scenes political driver, handling critical deals across all dimensions, while Paetongtarn takes the spotlight, navigating power within legal frameworks. This approach is both a strength and a weakness. The father-daughter duo must carefully balance their roles to ensure success without creating vulnerabilities. Read more at:
