Thailand elects Anutin Charnvirakul as PM amid easing political turmoil

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Suttinee Yuvejwattana

 

Thailand’s parliament elected Anutin Charnvirakul prime minister on Friday, the nation’s third leader since 2023, in a move that may offer only a brief period of political calm.  

Anutin, 58, secured at least 273 votes in the lower house, more than the 247 required for a win. His challenger Chaikasem Nitisiri, a candidate of a bloc led by the influential Shinawatra family, got 132 votes. The voting was still underway at 3:56 p.m. in Bangkok.

 

The former construction magnate secured the top spot only with the support of the pro-democracy People’s Party, which demanded he commit to hold elections within months.  

He succeeds Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of influential politician Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted by the Constitutional Court last week for ethical violations. 

 

Adding to the political drama, Thaksin flew to Dubai on Thursday night for what he said was for a medical checkup. But the visit came just days before a court ruling that could see him jailed, raising fresh uncertainty over the future of the clan that has dominated Thai politics for decades.

 

Read: Thaksin Suddenly Leaves Thailand as Rival Set to Become Premier

 

Anutin is set to lead a minority coalition that includes the pro-establishment parties which blocked Move Forward — the predecessor of the People’s Party — from taking power after the 2023 polls. His agreement with the People’s Party stipulates he must dissolve parliament within four months of being sworn in and delivering his policy statement.

 

“Today’s vote ends the immediate drama and likely avoids the risk of snap elections this year,” said Peter Mumford, Southeast Asia Practice Head at Eurasia Group. “But the political games in Thailand will likely continue, not least as Anutin seeks to expand his coalition and clouds hover over the outlook for Pheu Thai.”

 

The challenges awaiting the new leader include a sputtering economy, hit particularly by US President Donald Trump’s trade war and a simmering border dispute with neighboring Cambodia. The government had already forecast growth to average 2% this year, less than half the pace of expansion of regional peers such as Indonesia and the Philippines.

 

Coalition Kingmaker

Anutin has served in cabinets across Thailand’s political spectrum, from populist Thaksin Shinawatra to coup leader Prayuth Chan-Ocha, and most recently Thaksin’s daughter Paetongtarn. For nearly a decade, he was a coalition kingmaker, drawing on provincial networks and business allies. A 2009 US embassy cable released by WikiLeaks described him as close to the then-crown prince. 

 

An engineer by training, Anutin ran family firm Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction, now known as Stecon Group Pcl, before joining politics full time. His business-friendly credentials may help ease concerns of companies and investors worried about the frequent bouts of political instability and its impact on the economy. 

 

“It remains to be seen what the PM can do in a such a short period of time,” said Lavanya Venkateswaran, an economist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. in Singapore. “His role will likely be geared towards setting the stage for the next election.”

 

While the benchmark stock index has rebounded about 19% from a June low, it’s still the worst-performer in Asia this year. Foreign investors have pulled a net $2.5 billion from the equity market this year. The baht has gained almost 6% against the dollar in 2025 and held gains after Anutin sealed the win.

 

Thailand has a long history of political instability, with royalist judges and generals repeatedly ousting elected prime ministers. Paetongtarn was the fifth premier linked to the Shinawatra clan to be dismissed by the Constitutional Court.

 

Anutin’s rise also marks a dramatic turn in Thailand’s political trajectory, coming after Pheu Thai struck a 2023 pact with conservative parties to share power. That deal paved the way for Thaksin Shinawatra — prime minister from 2001 until his ouster in a 2006 coup — to return from 15 years of self-imposed exile. 

 

Sentenced to eight years in prison, his term was royally commuted to one year. He spent six months in a hospital before being released on parole earlier this year. On Sept. 9, a court will rule on whether his hospital stay counts toward that sentence. Last month, he was acquitted in a separate royal defamation case, leading to the lifting of his overseas travel ban.