The Election Commission of Thailand on Wednesday (Feb 25) ratified most of the results from this month’s general election, confirming a strong showing by caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and his conservative Bhumjaithai Party.
In a statement, the commission certified 396 of the 500 seats in the lower house, with Bhumjaithai securing 170 constituencies — the highest number won by any single party.
The reformist People’s Party, which had led opinion polls prior to the Feb 8 vote, finished second with 88 constituencies. The populist Pheu Thai Party, associated with jailed former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, placed third with 58 seats.
Coalition Government In The Making
As no party achieved an outright majority, Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai have agreed to form a coalition government. Bhumjaithai has indicated that several smaller parties are also expected to join the alliance.
The pro-military and pro-monarchy Bhumjaithai recorded its strongest electoral performance to date, buoyed by a surge in nationalist sentiment following two rounds of deadly border clashes with Cambodia last year.
In contrast, Pheu Thai — widely regarded as Thailand’s most electorally successful party of the 21st century — suffered its weakest result on record.
The two parties were coalition partners until June, when Anutin withdrew after a leaked phone conversation involving his predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra of Pheu Thai.
In the call, she reportedly referred to former Cambodian leader Hun Sen as “uncle” and described a Thai military commander as her “opponent”, sparking public outrage amid heightened tensions over a disputed border between the two nations.
Recounts And Outstanding Seats
Votes in three of the country’s 400 constituencies are currently being recounted following concerns about transparency in the tallying process. In one northern polling station, voters are scheduled to recast their ballots on Mar 1 after discrepancies emerged between the number of registered voters and ballots received on election day.
The Election Commission has yet to certify the 100 party-list seats allocated through proportional representation. However, preliminary figures show Bhumjaithai leading the overall projected tally with more than 190 seats.
The People’s Party is expected to secure nearly 120 total seats, while Pheu Thai is projected to win fewer than 80, based on initial results.
Under Thai law, the commission must endorse at least 95 per cent of elected lawmakers before the new parliament can convene to appoint a House speaker and elect a prime minister.
