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Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn has endorsed Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra's new cabinet, the Royal Gazette showed on Wednesday, with 12 new faces in the 36-member lineup of her coalition government, reports Reuters.
Paetongtarn, 38, was elected by parliament last month to become Thailand's youngest premier after the shock removal of predecessor Srettha Thavisin by a court.
Her Pheu Thai Party, which, together with previous incarnations, has led governments since 2001, remains the dominant force in the new cabinet, retaining Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira and Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa.
Deputy premier Phumtham Wechayachai takes on the defence portfolio and has been replaced as commerce minister by top Pheu Thai adviser and former energy minister Pichai Naripthaphan.
Pheu Thai, the populist party of the billionaire Shinawatra family, has 17 of the cabinet positions, which include ministers and deputy ministers, with the remaining 19 divided among coalition partners.
The new cabinet could deliver its policy proposal to parliament as early as next week, the government's chief whip, Wisut Chainarun, told Reuters.
Those include an adjustment of Pheu Thai's signature policy to transfer credit of 10,000 baht ($292) to 50 million Thais via a smartphone application, some of which will now be delivered in cash.