Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai party, was elected Thailand's new prime minister by the House of Representatives on 5/9, defeating Chaikasem Nitisiri, the candidate of Pheu Thai, the party once empowered by the Shinawatra family.

Anutin’s victory is another blow to Pheu Thai, shortly after the Constitutional Court ousted Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in late August. Paetongtarn, 39, is the third member of the Shinawatra family to meet this fate, following her father, Thaksin Shinawatra, and aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra.

Before the House of Representatives voted for the new prime minister, Thaksin left the country for medical treatment and traveled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he had previously lived in exile. Observers believe these events mark the end of the Shinawatra family's 25-year influence on Thai politics.

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin at Don Mueang Airport, Bangkok in August 2023. Photo: AFP

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin at Don Mueang Airport, Bangkok in August 2023. Photo: AFP

The Shinawatra family are descendants of a Chinese immigrant who married a Thai woman in the late 19th century. The family’s political influence grew when Thaksin entered politics in 1994. Born in 1949, Thaksin was a police officer before becoming a businessman in the late 1970s. He built a successful telecommunications empire and became a billionaire.

Thaksin held several cabinet positions before founding the Thai Rak Thai party in 1998. His populist pledges, such as promoting economic growth and narrowing the wealth gap, earned him strong support from low-income voters, especially in rural areas. He was elected prime minister in 2001 and 2005.

Thaksin's popularity with working-class voters shook Thailand's established political order, creating conflict with the powerful conservative establishment, including key figures in the military and the courts.

Thaksin was also criticized for his autocratic, business-like leadership style and for blurring the lines between his business interests and state policy. His government was also accused of fueling a persistent Muslim insurgency in southern Thailand.

Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 military coup while working in the US. The opposition accused him of corruption, abuse of power and filed lawsuits. He denied the charges, calling them politically motivated, and went into exile. In 2008, he returned to Thailand to appear in court but left the country just before his sentencing.

Despite living abroad, Thaksin's influence on Thai politics remained significant. Parties he supported repeatedly won elections but faced legal challenges.

After Thai Rak Thai was dissolved in 2007, Somchai Wongsawat, Thaksin's brother-in-law, joined the People's Power Party and was elected prime minister in 2008. However, Somchai's term lasted only two months before the Constitutional Court ruled that the People's Power Party had committed electoral fraud and dissolved it.

People's Power Party MPs joined the newly formed Pheu Thai party and led Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin's sister, to victory in the 2011 election, making her Thailand's first female prime minister.

Yingluck was criticized as an inexperienced politician with nothing but a charming smile and a connection to her brother, who once called her his "clone."

Yingluck's government's proposal to pardon Thaksin sparked protests, leading to her ouster in a 2014 military coup. She left Thailand in 2017 and now lives in exile. A Thai court later sentenced her to 5 years in prison for negligence related to a rice subsidy program that cost the government billions of USD.

In May 2023, after nearly 9 years of military rule, Thailand held a general election. The Shinawatra family's influence was still evident when Pheu Thai came in second, behind the Move Forward Party (MFP). The MFP, a newly formed party popular with young voters, pledged to change lese-majeste laws, a move that could impact the monarchy.

This policy prevented the MFP from forming a ruling coalition, facing opposition from conservatives and royalists. Thaksin seized the opportunity to broker a coalition between Pheu Thai and conservative parties, installing Srettha Thavisin of Pheu Thai as prime minister and excluding the MFP from the government.

The deal allowed Thaksin to return to Thailand in August 2023. Less than a year later, Srettha was removed by the Constitutional Court for appointing a former prisoner as a minister.

Pheu Thai nominated Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin's daughter, to succeed Srettha, and she was approved by parliament in August 2024, becoming Thailand's youngest prime minister.

Power returned to the Shinawatras, but their luck didn't last. In mid-June, Paetongtarn faced a scandal when a leaked recording of her phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen surfaced. In the call, Paetongtarn addressed Hun Sen as "uncle" and described the commander of Thailand's 2nd Army Region as "belonging to the opposition."

Paetongtarn later confirmed the recording's authenticity but added that it was part of a negotiation tactic and that she had no issues with the Thai military. However, the opposition filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court, alleging her conduct violated ethical rules.

After review, the Thai Constitutional Court suspended Paetongtarn on 1/7 and ousted her on 29/8.

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra during a press conference in Bangkok on 19/6. Photo: AFP

Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra during a press conference in Bangkok on 19/6. Photo: AFP

Some believe the Shinawatra family, having weathered coups and exile, might overcome this challenge. However, observers note the family currently lacks a clear path or successor for a political comeback.

Punchada Sirivunnabood, head of the social sciences and humanities faculty at Mahidol University in Bangkok, believes that after numerous scandals and controversies, it's time for the Shinawatra family to end their role in Thai politics.

"Thaksin himself has made some mistakes, so I think it will be very difficult for this family to win the next election and regain power," Punchada told ABC.

Nhu Tam (According to ABC, Nation Thailand, AFP)