prior to becoming Prime Minister, Yingluck Shinawatra had never held public office, and many saw in her candidacy, a trustworthy successor to the policies of her brother who was prime minister before her. Her brother had also been deposed by the junta in 2005 and has since been living in political exile in Dubai. In the early days of her brother’s absence, Yingluck Shinawatra helped manage the family business empire, which is made up of real estate companies and the cell phone company M-Link Asia Corporation.