With Yingluck at PM, what's in store for Thailand?

Pheu Thai's top candidate Yingluck Shinawatra has moved closer to becoming Thailand's first female prime minister following her endorsement by the Election Commission as an MP. Her government meanwhile is expected to be formed and to start working by the end of August.

Her next step is to wait for the number of the endorsed MPs to reach 95 per cent of the total of 500 so that the House of Representatives can open.

The EC has endorsed a total of 370 MPs, including 259 constituency and 111 party-list MPs, who won the July 3 election. To meet the minimum requirement of 475, at least 105 more MPs need to be endorsed for the first convention of the House.

The EC is scheduled to meet again to consider more MP endorsements today, but it is still uncertain whether the minimum requirement will be met. However, the agency has all along insisted it will endorse the required number of MPs within the deadline of 30 days after the election.

That means in early August, the House of Representatives will open and the House Speaker will then be selected. After royal endorsement, another House convention will be called for the selection of the prime minister.

The Cabinet line-up is expected to be announced soon after the royal endorsement of the prime minister.

Many people are currently waiting to see the faces of the new Cabinet members, which might determine the government's longevity.

Optimistic Thais, on the other hand, would expect the government chosen through the election to end Thailand's long political turmoil.

Also, many hot issues are waiting to be addressed.

The high prices of food, fuel and fertiliser are among them. Workers, including those of state enterprises, are waiting to celebrate the Bt300 minimum daily wage promoted by Pheu Thai Party.

Many are waiting to see how the relationship between Thailand and Cambodia will develop and what Thailand will do after the International Court of Justice's order to withdraw troops from the disputed area adjacent to the Preah Vihear temple, as Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said he might leave this for the new government due to legal requirements.

And many are waiting to see what the first female prime minister of Thailand, with the support of her brother, former prime minister Thaksin, will do for the country.