"Anutin Charnivirakul was voted in after a special session in Parliament on Friday. The 58-year-old is heir to Sino-Thai, one of Thailand's largest construction firms. He served as the company's president before entering politics in the 1990s. He has since served in a variety of high-profile positions, including as deputy prime minister for the past six years, health minister from 2019 to 2023, and then as interior minister until this year. His time as health minister coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic."
"It was also in that role that he led the campaign to legalize marijuana in Thailand, which in 2022 became the first country in Asia to fully decriminalize cannabis. While that policy led him to be dubbed in the media as the "cannabis king," Anutin is not known for his liberal politics, but rather as a staunch royalist and leader of the conservative Bhumjaithai Party."
Anutin Charnvirakul, 58, was voted in as prime minister after a special parliamentary session. He is heir to Sino-Thai and entered politics in the 1990s after serving as company president. He held posts including deputy prime minister for six years, health minister from 2019–2023, and interior minister until this year. As health minister he led the campaign to legalize marijuana, and Thailand in 2022 became the first Asian country to fully decriminalize cannabis. He leads the conservative Bhumjaithai Party and is a staunch royalist. The opposition People's Party backed his appointment on condition of dissolving parliament and calling elections within four months; that party did not join the government and plans constitutional reform and a strong election bid.
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