Prime Minister Hun Manet congratulated newly appointed Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who replaced Srettha Thavisin today.

The Thai Parliament elected Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 37, who is now the country’s youngest leader, to succeed Srettha, who was dismissed from his position on August 14 by Thailand’s Constitutional Court for appointing Pichit Chuenban as a minister of PM’s Office, despite his criminal record.

“On behalf of the Royal Government and people of Cambodia, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on your appointment as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand. This stands as a testament to the trust and confidence the Thai people have in your leadership,” wrote Manet.

He noted that Cambodia and Thailand cherish the longstanding bilateral relations and close cooperation which have brought tangible benefits to our peoples. Manet said he believed that both countries will continue to enhance their “strategic partnership”.

“In this spirit, I am looking forward to working closely with you to further advance our relations and cooperation for the mutual benefit of our two countries and peoples, contributing to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and beyond,” he added.

Hun Sen, president of the Cambodian Senate, also shared his congratulations with the newly appointed prime minister.

The families of Hun Sen and Paetongtarn are close, at both a personal and political level, with Hun Sen often referring to Thaksin as his brother.

In March, Paetongtarn, who is also known as Ung Ing, visited Cambodia and met with Manet at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, with both sides pledging to strengthen Thai-Cambodian relations.