AMN / WEB DESK
Veteran leader Anutin Charnvirakul has been elected as Thailand’s new prime minister, following the dismissal of Paetongtarn Shinawatra by a court ruling that triggered fresh political turmoil. Parliament voted overwhelmingly on Friday to endorse the 58-year-old leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, marking the culmination of decades of political maneuvering.
Anutin began his career with Thaksin Shinawatra’s Thai Rak Thai party and later rose to prominence as health minister, notably for his management of the COVID-19 crisis and championing cannabis legalization in 2022. His Bhumjaithai Party, though securing only 70 out of 500 seats in the last election, has emerged as a key power broker, aligning across party lines and bridging Thailand’s conservative establishment with provincial political clans.
Known as a pragmatic royalist, Anutin has positioned himself as a credible defender of conservative interests while leveraging grassroots support in rural regions. His coalition now benefits from outside backing by the People’s Party, successor of the progressive Move Forward, which he had earlier blocked from forming government.
With decades of political experience and strong connections across business, provincial, and royalist networks, Anutin’s premiership signals continuity amid Thailand’s persistent establishment-versus-populist power struggles.