YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA HAS been named as the first female Prime Minister of Thailand.

The 44-year-old businesswoman is the sister of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who is currently in exile.

This was Shinawatra’s first time running in an election for the Pheu Thai party and she was a political novice.

After her nomination in May, her campaign received lots of coverage and she quickly stole attention from the outgoing premier Abhisit Vejjajiva.

Shinawatra comes from a political family but was not thought to have wanted to pursue the role of Prime Minister.

She graduated from university in Thailand before attending Kentucky State University in the United States in 1991.

After entering the business world, she became CEO of Advanced Info Service Pcl and then president of the family’s property firm, SC Asset corporation.

Shinawatra has a partner and nine-year-old son, the latter of whom often accompanied her on campaign events.

Her election comes after a turbulent five years for Thai politics.

She will have to find a delicate equilibrium between the coup-prone army and the elite establishment on one side, and the so-called Red Shirt movement on the other.

The Red Shirts helped vote her into office and want to see justice meted out for the bloody military crackdown that ended its protests in Bangkok last year.

Her brother Thaksin was exiled in 2006.

BBC reports that Shinawatra will have to convince critics that she is a strong leader.

Her party won the majority of seats in parliament – 265 out of 500 - but will form a coalition with four other parties.

- Additional reporting AP