Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party secured a decisive victory in Sunday’s general election, raising hopes that a more stable coalition could finally end a prolonged period of political instability.
Anutin set the stage for the snap election in mid-December amid a Thailand–Cambodia border conflict ,a move analysts said was timed by the conservative leader to capitalise on surging nationalism.
With nearly 95% of polling stations reporting, preliminary election commission results showed the Bhumjaithai Party winning about 192 seats, compared to 117 for the progressive People’s Party and 74 for the once-dominant Pheu Thai Party. The coalition talks are expected to start in the coming days.
Several smaller parties secured a combined 117 seats in the 500-member parliament, according to a Reuters calculation based on election commission data.
People’s Party Rejects Coalition Bid
Speaking as results were coming in, People’s Party leader Natthaphong Rueangpanyawut conceded that, while some votes had yet to be counted, his party did not look likely to win.
Natthaphong said the party would not join a Bhumjaithai-led government but would also not form a competing coalition.
With a message of structural change and reforms to Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, the People’s Party had led most opinion polls during the campaign season.
Constitutional Referendum
Thai voters were also asked during the vote to decide if a new constitution should replace a 2017 military-backed charter that critics say concentrated power in undemocratic institutions, including a powerful senate that is chosen through an indirect selection process with limited public participation.
The election commission’s early count showed voters backing the referendum by a margin of nearly two to one.
Thailand has had 20 constitutions since the end of its absolute monarchy in 1932, with most of the changes coming in the wake of military coups.
The new government and lawmakers can start the amendment process in parliament with two more referendums required to adopt a new constitution.
(With inputs from Reuters)
