Daughter of ousted Thai prime minister could win his old job

By JERRY HARMER
Associated Press

BANGKOK (AP) — Opinion polls show Paetongtarn Shinawatra to be the heavy favorite to take the prime minister’s post after Thailand’s May 14 general election. But there are fears that victory for Paetongtarn, the youngest daughter of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, could plunge Thailand back into a familiar cycle of protest and military intervention. Thaksin, deposed by a military coup in 2014, is a polarizing political figure with powerful enemies in the Thai establishment who regarded his popularity as a threat. But having the 36-year-old Paetongtarn as a candidate is expected to pay off handsomely for the popular opposition Pheu Thai party. It’s polling so well that it’s hoping for a landslide victory, with enough seats to name the prime minister.