Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has appointed Thailand's former premier and billionaire political figure, Thaksin Shinawatra, as his personal adviser for his upcoming chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year. Anwar announced that Thaksin's role will be informal, collaborating with advisors from several of ASEAN's 10 member states.
The announcement came during a visit to Malaysia by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s youngest daughter and the fourth member of the Shinawatra family to hold a top political position in Thailand. Anwar expressed gratitude to Thaksin, stating, “Thank you for agreeing to this because we need the benefit of the experience of such a statesman”.
At 75, Thaksin has been a dominant figure in Thai politics for over two decades, and his influence is anticipated to impact the current government, as it has with multiple administrations in the past. However, Thaksin is barred from holding office after being convicted of abuse of power and conflicts of interest charges he evaded for 15 years while in self-imposed exile, remaining a significant player amidst Thailand's political turmoil.