New Thai Cabinet includes 12 new faces

The King of Thailand has endorsed new cabinet lead by the Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. There are 12 new faces in her collation government, according to the Royal Gazette announcement on Wednesday.

The 35-member list includes: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Phumtham Wechayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Suriya Juengrungruangkit, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul.

Pichai Naripthaphan, former energy minister and also adviser of Paetongtarn's Pheu Thai Party, is now the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. The party remains dominant force in the new cabinet, retaining Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa.

The ruling Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn was elected as the 31st Prime Minister of Thailand last month. As the country's second woman in the post following her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra, 37-year-old Paetongtarn is the youngest daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The Pheu Thai now has 17 of the cabinet positions, covering sectors of transport, health, tourism and culture. The Bhumjaithai Party -- the second largest in the alliance, received eight cabinet seats, including the ministries of education and labor.

The King will grant an audience to Prime Minister Paetongtarn and her 35 Cabinet members on Friday evening, where they will be sworn in, the Cabinet Secretariat announced on Wednesday.

Paetongtarn will hold her first Cabinet meeting on Saturday when she and her ministers will also pose for group photos at the front lawn of the Thai Khu Fah Building, Thai newspaper The Nation reported.

The first Cabinet meeting will see the appointment of a new prime minister's secretary-general. It will also deliberate on its policy statement draft that will be announced in Parliament later.

chinadaily