Yingluck Shinawatra becomes Thailand's first woman Prime Minister

Thailand’s parliament declared Yingluck Shinawatra the country’s first female – and youngest-ever - prime minister on Friday. She takes a job from which her brother, Thaksin, was ousted by the military in 2006.

Reuters/Chaiwat Subprasom

Yingluck said she was "excited to start work" after winning the support of 296 of 500 members of the lower house.

"People will judge whether my work satisfies them and meets their expectations or not," she told reporters after the vote.

Over the weekend she will work on forming a cabinet, which will have to be made up of members of the six parties that have formed a coalition with her Puea Thai party.

Supporters and members of the Red Shirt protest movement loyal to Thaksin, gathered at the party headquarters in Bangkok on Friday evening in expectation of a royal endorsement that will formalise her position.

Yingluck said that her priority will be tacking inflation, a major concern for the poor, who make up most of her support base.

Puea Thai and its partners command a three-fifths parliamentary majority after winning the 3 July election.