Thailand’s casino-friendly Pheu Thai Party has nominated another member of the influential Shinawatra family as a candidate for the country’s premiership.
The party announced on December 16th that Yodchanan Wongsawat, a nephew of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, would be one of its three nominees for prime minister.
The nomination comes as Thailand prepares for a general election on February 8th, following the dissolution of Parliament last week by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.
The move has stirred political attention, as Thaksin has long been viewed as supportive of economic liberalization initiatives, including backing efforts to legalize gaming industry.
Those efforts gained momentum in the last two year but ultimately fell through amid political turmoil linked to the administration of his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
In August, Paetongtarn was removed from office by a court ruling over ethical breaches related to her handling of a border dispute with Cambodia.
Thaksin, who served as prime minister from 2001 until he was ousted in a 2006 military coup, has remained a central figure in Thai politics and is widely regarded as a key driving force behind efforts to legalize the gaming industry in Thailand.
Yodchanan, 46, is the son of former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat and currently serves as an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Bangkok-based Mahidol University. He leads a slate of three Pheu Thai nominees, alongside party leader and former deputy finance minister Julapun Amornvivat and veteran politician Suriya Juangroongruangkit.
