Thailand’s House of Representatives held a special session on Friday, September 5 to vote for the new Prime Minister. Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Proud Thais Party, received more than half of the votes and was elected as the 32nd Prime Minister of Thailand.
During the meeting, the Proud Thais Party nominated Anutin to compete against Chaikasem Nitisiri, nominated by the ruling Pheu Thai Party. According to the meeting statistics, out of the 490 attending members, Anutin received 311 votes, twice the number of his opponent. Following procedure, his appointment still needs to be approved by the King.
Born in 1966, Anutin has been active in Thai politics for a long time, having served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior, and Minister of Health, and was in charge of epidemic prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is a staunch supporter of the monarchy and has gained attention in recent years for advocating the legalization of marijuana.
In June of this year, due to policy disagreements with the ruling coalition, Anutin led the Proud Thais Party to withdraw from the original coalition and announced his resignation from the cabinet, causing instability in Thailand’s ruling foundation. On August 29, the Constitutional Court ruled that then-Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra violated ethical standards in handling foreign affairs, leading to the removal of his prime ministerial position. Subsequently, with the support of the People’s Party, which holds the most seats in parliament, Anutin became the new Prime Ministerial candidate.
Anutin will lead a minority government. The People’s Party will not join the alliance, but an agreement has been reached that the new government must promote constitutional amendments and hold early elections within 4 months.
Following his election, Anutin told the media that he will “work hard every day, without taking a break, to solve problems as soon as possible.” Challenges facing the new government include weak consumption, tight credit, and high household debt.
In response to the Proud Thais Party’s defeat in the election, they expressed their intent to regroup and return to power. “We will come back and fulfill our mission to all Thai people,” the party stated in a declaration.