Political situation in Thailand

Former prime minister pardoned - daughter new leader

Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is pardoned by the king, Reuters reports. The announcement comes just a day after Shinawatra's daughter Petongtarn Shinawatra was named the new prime minister by parliament.

Thaksin Shinawatra fled Thailand when he was ousted in a military coup in 2006. He returned last August and has since been imprisoned for abuse of power while prime minister.

The wealthy Shinawatra family has been involved in the struggle for power in Thailand for decades. Paetongtarn Shinawatra becomes the third in the family to be appointed prime minister. Former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was deposed this week by a court.

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Expert: She will be her father's puppet

The appointment of Paetongtarn Shinawatra as Prime Minister of Thailand shows that the country is not a democracy. That's what experts tell the New York Times. The party that won the most votes in last year's election was stopped from forming a government, and earlier this week the sitting prime minister was ousted by a court.

- It shows that it doesn't really matter how the people vote, says Napon Jatusripitak, researcher in Thailand studies at an institute in Singapore, to the newspaper.

Paetongtarn's father, billionaire and former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was pardoned shortly after the vote in parliament ended. Professor Punchada Sirivunnabood tells Bloomberg that he is likely to be the one holding the reins.

- She will be her father's puppet and probably won't be able to accomplish much.