Bangkok, August 29, 2025– Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party and former Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister, and Public Health Minister, formally announced his candidacy for Prime Minister during a high-profile press conference tonight.
The announcement, attended by a coalition of allies including opposition figures and defecting Members of Parliament (MPs) from the ruling Pheu Thai Party, comes just hours after the Constitutional Court removed incumbent Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office in a 6-3 ruling over ethical misconduct related to a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, which we reported here.
The court’s decision marks the fifth time in 17 years that a Thai Prime Minister has been ousted by judicial intervention, showing the judiciary’s role in the kingdom’s fractious politics. Paetongtarn, the 39-year-old daughter of influential former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, had been in power for just about a year. The leaked June 15th conversation, amid escalating border tensions with Cambodia, reportedly showed Paetongtarn addressing Hun Sen as “uncle” and criticizing her own military’s actions, which the court deemed a breach of constitutional ethics under Sections 160 and 170.
This incident not only showed strains in Thailand-Cambodia relations but also exposed vulnerabilities in Paetongtarn’s leadership, with her approval rating plummeting to 9.2% in a June National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA) poll, down from 30.9% in March.
Anutin’s bid represents a bold pivot for the Bhumjaithai Party, which withdrew from the Pheu Thai-led coalition in June 2025 following the leak, citing damage to national dignity. At the press conference held at the Bhumjaithai headquarters in Bangkok, Anutin, 58, positioned himself as a unifying figure capable of stabilizing the government and addressing Thailand’s economic woes.
“We must resolve the current impasse through bold leadership and national reconciliation,” Anutin declared, flanked by supporters from the opposition People’s Party and several Pheu Thai MPs who have signaled their willingness to cross the floor. Bhumjaithai was the second-largest partner in the pre-withdrawal coalition but has since joined forces with conservative factions, including elements from the Palang Pracharat and United Thai Nation parties, but also aligned strategically with the opposition and progressive People’s Party.
A key element of Anutin’s strategy is his agreement to conditions laid out by the People’s Party, the progressive successor to the dissolved Move Forward Party, which holds 143 seats and remains the largest bloc in parliament. Led by Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the People’s Party indicated it could provide conditional support to avoid prolonged deadlock.
The conditions include dissolving parliament within four months of a new government’s formation and holding fresh national elections to “resolve the chronic problems plaguing our democracy,” as stated by Natthaphong in a recent interview. This concession is seen as a pragmatic move by Anutin to broaden his appeal, potentially securing the votes needed in the House for endorsement.
Anutin’s political resume improves his chances of his candidacy. As Public Health Minister during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2019 to 2023, he oversaw vaccine procurement, lockdowns, and the pivotal reopening of Thailand to international tourism in 2022, a move credited with injecting vital revenue into the economy. However, his early dismissal of the virus as “just a flu” drew criticism. He also has famously led the 2022 decriminalization of cannabis, a flagship Bhumjaithai policy that legalized medical and recreational use, though it was partially attempted to be reversed by Pheu Thai in 2024 amid public health concerns.
Meanwhile, the Pheu Thai Party, with 141 seats, is scrambling to rally support for its third eligible Prime Ministerial candidate, 77-year-old Chaikasem Nitisiri, a veteran lawyer and former Attorney General who served as Justice Minister under Paetongtarn’s aunt, Yingluck Shinawatra, until the 2014 coup. Chaikasem, who has recovered from a 2023 stroke and projected vitality through social media posts of golfing, was one of Pheu Thai’s nominees in the 2023 election alongside Srettha Thavisin (removed in August 2024) and Paetongtarn. Party insiders say Pheu Thai is leveraging its remaining coalition partners—Democrat Party (25 seats), United Thai Nation (36 seats), and smaller allies like Chartthaipattana (10 seats)—to maintain a slim majority of around 243 seats. However, internal divisions and the defection of some MPs to Anutin’s camp have weakened their position.
Pheu Thai’s efforts come amid broader economic pressures, with Thailand’s GDP growth forecast at just 2.7% for 2025, hampered by high household debt (over 90% of GDP), sluggish exports, and global uncertainties. Paetongtarn’s flagship 10,000-baht digital wallet handout, intended to stimulate spending for 50 million citizens, has been indefinitely postponed due to budget shortfalls, further eroding public trust. Other proposals like casinos in entertainment complex and stricter rules for cannabis have also been controversial and floundered.
A special parliamentary session to select the next Prime Minister is slated for next week, likely beginning September 2, following procedural requirements under the 2017 Constitution.
