Inside Story

Can Yingluck lead Thailand out of turmoil?

We ask if the relative political newcomer will be able to hold together a coalition and deliver stability.

Yingluck Shinawatra has won a decisive election victory in Thailand. Her party secured a majority of the seats in parliament, which could be a sign of support for her brother – the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.

But the relative newcomer to politics now faces the challenge of holding together a coalition government. 

Will Yingluck be the leader who takes Thailand towards a period of stability after years of turmoil? 

Inside Story, with presenter Sohail Rahman, discusses with guests: Kriengsak Chareonwongsak, a former member of parliament for the Democrat Party; Michael Montesano, a visiting research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore; and Pithaya Pookaman, a deputy spokesman for the ministry of foreign affairs for the newly elected Pheu Thai Party. 

This episode of Inside Story aired on Monday, July 4, 2011.