Paetongtarn Shinawatra secures majority support in parliament to become Thailand's new PM

BANGKOK, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a candidate backed by Thailand's Pheu Thai-led coalition, secured a simple majority in a parliamentary vote on Friday to become the country's new prime minister.

The 37-year-old Pheu Thai Party leader and daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will become the second female premier and the youngest one in the Southeast Asian country.

The parliamentary vote came following a court-ruled dismissal of then Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin in an ethics violation case earlier this week.