Srettha Thavisin wins enough votes to become Thailand’s 30th prime minister

Srettha Thavisin, of Thailand’s Pheu Thai party, has secured enough votes in Parliament to become the country’s 30th prime minister (Wason Wanichakorn/AP)

Srettha Thavisin, from Thailand’s populist Pheu Thai party, secured enough votes in Parliament on Tuesday to become the country’s 30th prime minister, hours after former premier Thaksin Shinawatra returned from years of self-imposed exile and began an eight-year prison sentence.

While the vote was continuing, Mr Srettha’s supporters celebrated a victory that appeared to end months of post-election uncertainty in which the winning progressive Move Forward party was blocked from taking power by conservative senators.