Thailand’s Anutin Charnvirakul has been elected prime minister after winning a decisive parliamentary vote, defeating the candidate from the Shinawatra family’s once-dominant Pheu Thai party and ending a week of political deadlock.
Anutin, 58, a veteran politician and former deputy premier, interior minister, and health minister, secured backing from the opposition People’s Party, promising a referendum on constitutional amendments and a general election within four months. The Bhumjaithai party leader did not address the house before the vote, but easily surpassed the majority threshold, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The result marks a humiliating setback for billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra and his Pheu Thai party. Thaksin left Thailand for Dubai shortly before the vote amid a series of political defeats, including the dismissal of his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra by the Constitutional Court.
Known as a shrewd dealmaker, Anutin has built his reputation navigating Thailand’s turbulent politics. While a staunch royalist and conservative, he gained attention for leading Thailand’s cannabis decriminalization campaign, which spurred a boom in marijuana retailers.
Anutin will lead a minority government, facing the challenge of an economy struggling with weak consumption, high household debt, and tight lending conditions. Analysts note that his rise reflects the declining influence of the Shinawatra dynasty and a shift in the country’s political landscape.
