{"id":1291,"date":"2025-09-05T12:33:58","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T12:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/anutin-prime-minister-thailand\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T12:33:58","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T12:33:58","slug":"anutin-prime-minister-thailand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/anutin-prime-minister-thailand\/","title":{"rendered":"Anutin Charnvirakul wins parliamentary vote to become Thailand\u2019s next prime minister"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p><time datetime=\"2025-09-05\">Sept. 5, 2025<\/time> \u2014 Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, secured 311 votes in Thailand\u2019s House of Representatives in a parliamentary ballot on Friday in Bangkok, winning the majority needed to become the country\u2019s next prime minister. A royal appointment is expected in the coming days.<\/p>\n<h2>Key takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Anutin received 311 votes, above the 247-vote threshold from 492 active House members.<\/li>\n<li>The vote follows the court-ordered removal of Paetongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister last week for ethics violations related to a phone call with Cambodia\u2019s Senate president.<\/li>\n<li>Pheu Thai\u2019s candidate, Chaikasem Nitisiri, won 152 votes; Pheu Thai unsuccessfully sought to dissolve Parliament days earlier.<\/li>\n<li>Anutin\u2019s Bhumjaithai left the previous coalition after the phone-call controversy, and the new government may lack a stable majority.<\/li>\n<li>The People\u2019s Party insists on a referendum on a new constitution and will remain in opposition.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Verified facts<\/h3>\n<p>The parliamentary count shown live on television recorded 311 votes for Anutin out of 492 active House members; the simple majority threshold was 247 votes. After the tally was announced, lawmakers applauded and supporters greeted Anutin on the chamber floor. He is expected to assume office formally after receiving the king\u2019s endorsement.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Candidate<\/th>\n<th>Votes<\/th>\n<th>Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Anutin Charnvirakul (Bhumjaithai)<\/td>\n<td>311<\/td>\n<td>Won majority in House<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Chaikasem Nitisiri (Pheu Thai)<\/td>\n<td>152<\/td>\n<td>Pheu Thai\u2019s nominated candidate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Active House members<\/td>\n<td>492<\/td>\n<td>Majority required: 247<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><figcaption>Parliamentary vote totals from the Sept. 5, 2025 ballot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Anutin, 58, has served in cabinets under both Pheu Thai and the earlier elected government aligned with former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. He resigned from Paetongtarn Shinawatra\u2019s cabinet and withdrew Bhumjaithai from her coalition after a leaked phone call between Paetongtarn and Cambodia\u2019s Hun Sen sparked public outrage and a subsequent court ruling that removed her from office.<\/p>\n<p>The phone-call controversy precipitated a lethal five-day armed clash in July, according to reports. The Constitutional Court\u2019s removal of Paetongtarn came last week; she had served about a year after replacing Srettha Thavisin, who was dismissed by the court earlier this year.<\/p>\n<h3>Context &#038; impact<\/h3>\n<p>Thailand\u2019s political scene has been volatile since the 2023 election. Move Forward (now the People\u2019s Party) won the most seats but was blocked from forming a government when senators\u2014many appointed under a previous military administration\u2014voted against its candidate. The Senate no longer participates in the prime ministerial vote, but its earlier role shaped the post-election balance of power.<\/p>\n<p>Bhumjaithai\u2019s role as a swing partner has grown decisive. The party is best known for pushing cannabis decriminalization and for Anutin\u2019s prominent tenure as health minister during the COVID-19 pandemic\u2014an era that brought both public visibility and criticism over vaccine procurement delays.<\/p>\n<p>The People\u2019s Party says it will stay in opposition and has conditioned support on a pledge to hold a referendum on drafting a new constitution via an elected constituent assembly. If that pledge is not met, the new government could face persistent parliamentary challenges and street protests.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Short-term: Anutin can form a cabinet and govern if the king formalizes the appointment.<\/li>\n<li>Medium-term: A minority or narrowly supported government may struggle to pass major reforms.<\/li>\n<li>Long-term: Calls for constitutional change and reform of appointed institutions may intensify political polarization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I thank the House for their trust and I will form a government that seeks stability and reconciliation,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Anutin Charnvirakul<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;We will remain in opposition while pressing for a referendum on a new constitution,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, People\u2019s Party leader<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>Explainer: Who is Anutin and what is Bhumjaithai?<\/summary>\n<p>Anutin Charnvirakul leads Bhumjaithai, a party that has positioned itself as a pragmatic junior partner in post-2023 coalitions. Anutin rose to national prominence as health minister during the pandemic and championed cannabis decriminalization, a high-profile policy that has since moved toward tighter medical regulation.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h3>Unconfirmed<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Motives for former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra\u2019s travel to Dubai\u2014officially described as a medical checkup\u2014have been the subject of speculation but are not confirmed.<\/li>\n<li>Whether the new government will win stable parliamentary support beyond the initial vote or face immediate no-confidence moves remains uncertain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Bottom line<\/h3>\n<p>Anutin\u2019s decisive 311-vote tally makes him Thailand\u2019s next prime minister in the short term, but the political turbulence that followed the removal of two successive prime ministers this year suggests governing challenges ahead. Key issues to watch include whether the new administration can secure broader legislative backing, the People\u2019s Party demand for a constitutional referendum, and how the king\u2019s formal appointment shapes public acceptance.<\/p>\n<h3>Sources<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">AP News<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.parliament.go.th\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Thai Parliament<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thaigov.go.th\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Government of Thailand<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sept. 5, 2025 \u2014 Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, secured 311 votes in Thailand\u2019s House of Representatives in a parliamentary ballot on Friday in Bangkok, winning the majority needed to become the country\u2019s next prime minister. A royal appointment is expected in the coming days. Key takeaways Anutin received 311 votes, above the &#8230; <a title=\"Anutin Charnvirakul wins parliamentary vote to become Thailand\u2019s next prime minister\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/anutin-prime-minister-thailand\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Anutin Charnvirakul wins parliamentary vote to become Thailand\u2019s next prime minister\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Anutin Charnvirakul wins Thailand premiership \u2014 AP News","rank_math_description":"Anutin Charnvirakul won 311 parliamentary votes on Sept. 5, 2025, securing the majority to become Thailand\u2019s next prime minister amid ongoing political turmoil.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailand, prime minister, Bhumjaithai, Parliament","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1291\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1286"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}