Thailand election pits reformists against conservative PM

"Voters in Thailand were heading to polling stations across the country on Sunday to elect a new parliament. The vote is seen as a three-way race between the reformist People's Party, the conservative Bhumjaithai Party of incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and Pheu Thai, the party backed by the waning but still influential Shinawatra family. Analysts predict a close race that is unlikely to yield an outright winner, with difficult coalition negotiations expected to follow the election."

"Its candidate for prime minister is 38-year-old entrepreneur Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut. The PP is the successor to the progressive and reformist Move Forward party, which won the last election in 2023 by a landslide. But Move Forward's candidate for prime minister was blocked, and the party was later dissolved after the Constitutional Court found that its reformist agenda amounted to an attempt to overthrow the monarchy."

"The vote is being held with the country's economy and its vital tourist sector struggling, and amid heightened tensions with neighbor Cambodia that have resulted in deadly clashes along the border. The country has churned through three prime ministers in under three years since the last general election in 2023. Thailand, which has seen 13 successful military coups since becoming a constitutional monarchy in 1932, has a long history of political instability."

Voters across Thailand went to the polls to elect a new parliament in a three-way contest between the reformist People's Party, conservative Bhumjaithai of incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and Pheu Thai. Surveys suggest the People's Party will win the most votes for the 500-seat lower house. The People's Party softened Move Forward's earlier reformist messaging after Move Forward's candidate was blocked and the party was dissolved by the Constitutional Court. Analysts expect a close result unlikely to yield a majority, prompting difficult coalition negotiations. The vote occurs amid a struggling economy, weak tourism and deadly border clashes with Cambodia, within a context of frequent leadership changes and a history of coups.

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