Bangkok, February 9th, 2026 – The centric conservative Bhumjaithai Party of incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has secured a stunning landslide victory over progressive and populist opponents in yesterday’s general election, winning 194 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives, according to the latest unofficial tallies with over 95% of votes counted.
Detailed breakdowns released by the Election Commission show:
– Bhumjaithai Party: 175 constituency seats + 19 party-list seats = 194 total
– People’s Party: 85 constituency seats + 31 party-list seats = 116 total
– Pheu Thai Party: 60 constituency seats + 16 party-list seats = 76 total
– Kla Tham Party: 56 constituency seats + 2 party-list seats = 58 total
No party reached the 251 seats needed for an outright majority, but Bhumjaithai’s dominant performance with more than double its 2023 result positions it strongly to form the next government and shows that many Thais, especially outside of Bangkok, resonated with Anutin’s strong message of nationalism, economic stability, Thais first, and sovereignty that he had campaigned on.
Political analysts and party insiders say Bhumjaithai is now in advanced talks to form a coalition with the Kla Tham Party, led by Deputy Prime Minister Thamanat Prompow. The two parties together would command 252 seats, comfortably clearing the threshold for a stable administration without having to form uneasy partnerships with parties with different ideological values, a key issue in the past several governments.
Sources close to both camps describe the partnership as natural, citing shared conservative values, strong provincial networks, and a mutual interest in continuity on key issues such as border security, economic stability, and respect for the monarchy.
Prime Minister Anutin declared victory on Sunday evening, telling supporters at party headquarters: “This is the victory of all Thais who want stability, unity and real progress for our country.” He thanked voters and signalled readiness to begin coalition negotiations immediately. Meanwhile, the other major parties stated they would not try to form a minority coalition as it would go against the will of the Thai people and the mandate given, and would allow BhumJaiThai to form and lead the new government, which makes it nearly certain to see Anutin Charnvirakul be nominated and elected by an MP majority for a four year term as Prime Minister.
A striking feature of the results was the People’s Party’s uneven performance, leading to a significant drop from their 2023 success. The progressive party DID sweep Bangkok, winning the capital’s 33 constituency seats, and performed strongly on the party-list vote (securing 31 seats). However, it lost significant traction across much of provincial Thailand particularly in the Northeast, North and South, and especially in border areas affected by the Cambodia/Thailand conflict where pre-election momentum failed to translate into constituency wins.
Analysts attribute this to Bhumjaithai’s effective grassroots campaigning, residents in border areas feeling People’s Party would be unable to properly manage renewed conflict with Cambodia, controversial prior statements about the Royal Thai military which has seen renewed widespread popularity following the border conflict, and voter preference for continuity amid regional tensions and economic concerns. As a result, the People’s Party fell well short of the 140–150 seats many polls had predicted, finishing a distant second and losing many seats they had from their 2023 election.
Pheu Thai, once Thailand’s dominant populist force historically led by members of the Thaksin Shinawatra family, suffered a sharp decline to just 76 seats, its worst performance in decades and losing control of their previous stronghold Chiang Mai to a mix of People’s Party and Kla Tham.
With official certification by the Thai Election Commission expected within days, coalition talks are set to intensify. Bhumjaithai and Kla Tham are widely expected to form the core of the next government, although potentially with support from smaller parties, paving the way for Anutin Charnvirakul to continue as prime minister and deliver what he has called “a stable, united Thailand focused on the people’s real needs.”
