Thailand’s Parliament chose Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 37, to become the country’s prime minister on Friday, elevating a candidate with no governing experience to the leadership of a nation in profound political turmoil.

Here is what to know:

Heir to a Powerful Political Dynasty

Ms. Paetongtarn, also known by her nickname, Ung Ing, is the third and youngest child of the tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra, 75, who was prime minister from 2001 to 2006. The political parties he founded, including the Pheu Thai party his daughter now represents, consistently won elections. He was removed in a coup but has wielded influence even while living in exile to escape corruption charges.

Ms. Paetongtarn’s uncle, Somchai Wongsawat, was also removed as prime minister in 2008, when the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of his party.

Her aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, 57, is a former prime minister who has faced the same fate. A younger sister of Mr. Thaksin, she became prime minister in 2011 and was removed in a coup in 2014 and fled the country in 2017 to avoid criminal negligence charges.

Background and Education

As a child, Ms. Paetongtarn shadowed her father while he campaigned and played golf. She graduated from Chulalongkorn University, one of Thailand’s top schools, with a degree in political science. She studied international hotel management at the University of Surrey in England.