Thai Tycoon Anutin Wins Parliament Vote For PM

Thai conservative construction tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday secured parliament’s backing to become the country’s next prime minister, according to an AFP count of lawmakers’ ballots.

The victory comes just a week after a court ruling ousted Paetongtarn Shinawatra, scion of Thailand’s most influential political dynasty, from the premiership. Her removal created a power vacuum that Anutin swiftly capitalised on by forging a coalition of opposition blocs to keep the Pheu Thai party from reclaiming the post.

With the vote still being counted, Anutin had already crossed the 247-seat threshold in the 492-member lower house, ensuring his majority. “It’s normal to feel excited,” he told reporters as he arrived for the session.

Meanwhile, Thaksin Shinawatra, the family patriarch and former prime minister, departed for Dubai hours before the vote, saying he planned to meet friends and seek medical treatment.

Anutin, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, previously served as deputy prime minister, interior minister, and health minister. He is perhaps best remembered for pushing through the landmark 2022 legalisation of cannabis. His tenure during the pandemic was more controversial, drawing criticism for blaming foreigners for spreading the virus — a remark for which he later apologised.

Crucially, Anutin won the support of the largest bloc in parliament, the 143-seat People’s Party, on the condition that parliament is dissolved and fresh elections are held within four months.

A dynasty on the back foot

Anutin’s ascent marks another setback for the Shinawatra family, a populist powerhouse in Thai politics for over two decades but increasingly hamstrung by court rulings and political manoeuvres.

Pheu Thai’s nominee for prime minister, former justice minister Chaikasem Nitisiri, trailed far behind in Friday’s ballot, securing barely half of Anutin’s tally.

The Shinawatras face further turbulence: the Supreme Court is set to rule Tuesday on a case related to Thaksin’s hospital stay after his 2023 return from exile — a verdict that could potentially see him jailed despite not addressing his guilt directly. Thaksin has pledged to appear in court “in person.”

Anutin, once an ally of Pheu Thai, broke ranks this summer over Paetongtarn’s handling of a border dispute with Cambodia. On August 29, the Constitutional Court found her guilty of breaching ministerial ethics and removed her from office after barely a year.

Although Pheu Thai remains in charge in a caretaker capacity, its last-minute plea for parliament’s dissolution was rejected by the palace, which cited unresolved legal questions about an interim government’s authority to make such a request.