Paetongtarn Shinawatra is the daughter of former prime minister Takshin Shinawatra, one of Thailand's most controversial political figures. She's the third member of a powerful political dynasty to hold the office. DW's Georg Matthes reports.
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00:00The new Prime Minister holds a special place in this man's heart.
00:04Paisan Janpan is a huge fan of Phet-on-Tarn Chinawa,
00:08the third member of her family to hold Thailand's highest office.
00:12I'm delighted. She's an incredibly capable person.
00:18She's inherited the spirit and patience from her father,
00:22along with the valuable experience from both her father and her aunt.
00:27I'm very happy. I'm really happy.
00:30The taxi driver has met the new Prime Minister's relatives,
00:34her father Thaksin, who recently returned to Thailand from political exile,
00:39and her aunt Yingluck, both former Prime Ministers.
00:44Phet-on-Tarn Chinawa has never held elected office before.
00:48She campaigned last year in the general election for her father's party,
00:52and had to face allegations she'd be his puppet.
00:57I hope I can ask him for advice any time that I want,
01:03but not all the time, 24-7 like that, because it's not possible.
01:07I am my own person, and I have my own things and my own goals
01:12that I have to achieve in the future.
01:14Improving living conditions for people like Janpan are included in her goals,
01:20but she also promised to reduce Thailand's national debt.
01:23Political experts agree that such promises are not key to staying in power.
01:30She has to deal with the traditional elites, the old elites,
01:38to keep them at bay, to keep them from staging a coup,
01:42to keep the courts from dissolving the party,
01:47and she has to keep the factions happy.
01:52You cannot do much.
01:54Janpan's former Chinawa heroes were ousted by those elites and the military in coups.
02:01He says he's not concerned that pro-military parties,
02:04who used to be the Chinawa's foes, are propping up the government of his current hero.
02:13We can't keep looking back at past problems and conflicts.
02:16It's time for us to join hands together and reduce conflict.
02:22While building a better country and future for our people.
02:27Before entering politics, Petchontarn had been running the hotel arm of her family's business empire.
02:32Now she'll work here, the Thai parliament, as the third Chinawa prime minister.