Thailand’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, has extended her thanks to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his well wishes. Shinawatra, at 37 years old, is now Thailand’s youngest Prime Minister. She was chosen by Parliament following a court order that removed her predecessor.
In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Shinawatra expressed her eagerness to collaborate with Modi to further strengthen the existing bond between India and Thailand. She specifically mentioned her interest in bolstering ties in areas such as trade, investment, cultural exchange, people-to-people interaction, and tourism, with a particular focus on increasing air travel between the two nations.
Shinawatra’s statement comes in response to Modi’s earlier congratulatory message on X, where he expressed his best wishes for her tenure and his intention to collaborate with her to strengthen the bilateral ties between India and Thailand. Modi highlighted the strong foundation of these ties, rooted in shared civilization, culture, and people-to-people connections.
Shinawatra’s rise to power comes after a tumultuous period in Thai politics. The Constitutional Court recently removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office within a year of his assuming charge, finding him guilty of an ethical violation.
Shinawatra hails from a prominent political dynasty established by her father, billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra. Thaksin was ousted by a military coup in 2006 but returned to Thailand last year when his party formed the government. Shinawatra’s appointment marks a new chapter in Thai politics, and her focus on strengthening ties with India holds significant implications for the future of bilateral relations.
