The incumbent leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, Anutin Charnvirakul, has successfully secured his position as the Prime Minister of Thailand after obtaining a majority vote in Parliament on Thursday. Official results released by the legislative body confirmed that Anutin garnered 293 votes, comfortably defeating Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the leader of the People’s Party, who received 119 votes. Out of the 498 members present for the session, a total of 86 individuals chose to abstain from the voting process.
The high-stakes election commenced at approximately 12:00 PM local time and concluded after more than an hour of deliberation and counting. House Speaker Sophon Zaram officially brought the proceedings to a close at 1:20 PM before adjourning the session for the day. By surpassing the 251-vote threshold required to lead the nation, Anutin has solidified his mandate to form a new government and continue his administration’s policies.
The coalition led by the Bhumjaithai Party, which includes the Pheu Thai Party and support from 13 smaller political entities, is projected to control 292 out of the 499 seats in Parliament. Following this legislative success, Speaker Sophon is expected to submit Anutin’s name to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn for royal endorsement. During the session, several lawmakers, including the entire Democrat Party contingent, opted to abstain, citing specific ethical concerns regarding the candidates.
Anutin, 59, originally ascended to the premiership in September 2025 following a court ruling that removed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office over ethical violations. His re-election follows the official certification of the February general election results by the Election Commission, which saw the Bhumjaithai Party emerge as the dominant force with 192 seats. Before taking on the role of Prime Minister, he served as the Minister of Interior and Minister of Public Health, notably leading the national response during the global health crisis.
Born in Bangkok as the eldest son of former Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul, Anutin holds an engineering degree from Hofstra University and a Mini MBA from Thammasat University. He previously managed his family’s prominent construction empire, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction PCL, which executed major infrastructure projects such as Suvarnabhumi Airport. After a five-year political ban following the dissolution of the Thai Rak Thai Party in 2006, he returned to the political arena in 2012 to lead his current party to its present success.
