by Steve Suwannarat

The re-election of the incumbent prime minister marks an unprecedented development in Thai politics ruled over the past two decades by fragile governments and military intervention. Bhumjaithai won a majority and formed a broad coalition, at the expense of progressive movements and the demands of the younger generations. Tensions with Cambodia and the risk of economic stagnation remain in the background.

Bangkok (AsiaNews) – With Anutin Charnvirakul's confirmation as prime minister yesterday, Thailand has set a record for stability. For the first time, a head of government was reappointed for a second term.

In the past 20 years, a succession of civilian governments proved short-lived or were dissolved under pressure from the country’s military and elites, amid growing social and economic instability.

This new mandate could be a sign of a possible stabilisation of the political system, which has been hard pressed since the September 2006 coup.

However, this risks coming at the expense of progressive movements, largely supported by younger Thais, which, despite being ebbed in by restrictive laws and sometimes dissolved by the courts, had achieved victory in the 2023 previous elections.

This was not the case in the last election, on 8 February, when the People's Party, their main representative, came in second.

Anutin's party, the Bhumjaithai, won 191 of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives, against the People's Party's 120, managing to form a majority coalition of 16 parties, for a total of 292 seats.

Also significant is the agreement reached with the Pheu Thai, which had briefly shared government with Bhumjaithai between September 2023 and June 2025, before being ousted again through legal manoeuvres.

At that time, Newin Chidchob had assumed leadership of a provisional government in preparation for elections.

The Pheu Thai, whose support comes from rural working class and farmers, continues to rely, albeit weakly, on the figure of Thaksin Shinawatra.

The latter, a businessman who became prime minister in the early 2000s, was initially supported by Anutin himself, but later entered into open conflict with the monarchy and the military, leading to the 2006 coup and his exile two years later.

Newin Chidchob inherited the leadership of Bhumjaithai from his family. Founded in 2008 in Suphanburi province, it has gradually grown nationally, attracting a portion of the popular electorate traditionally close to Pheu Thai.

Bhumjaithai has built its political identity around a strong appeal to nationalism and the values ​​of Buddhism and the monarchy, principles that are rarely questioned in Thailand.

On this basis, the party has presented its platform as an almost "natural" choice for defending the country's identity and territorial integrity.

This is a particularly sensitive issue at a time when, for almost a year, a dispute with Cambodia has led to armed clashes along border areas.

In Thailand’s highly volatile politics, often dominated by eccentric personalities, cronyism, and money, rather than ideologies and platforms, the success of another seasoned, unscrupulous businessman-turned-politician –  who successfully swayed various segments of society to his advantage at the expense of traditional and progressive parties – seems a sign of stability.

However, it remains to be seen whether the new prime minister will be able to lead the country out of a phase marked by stagnation, scepticism, and ambiguity, while restoring it to a more defined role on the international scene, striking a delicate balance between the United States and China.

At the regional level, managing tensions with Cambodia will also be crucial, possibly through international mediation to reach a shared definition of the border inherited from the colonial era.

While the support of pro-monarchist and conservative sectors seems obvious, that of the military leadership is less predictable.

The country's priorities require hard choices, even going against the grain, especially socially and economically. Thus, a clash of opposing visions emerges: on the one hand, elitist and nationalist demands, on the other, a drive towards openness, development, and democratisation.

A testament to the fragility of the system is the fact that no democratically elected prime minister has managed to complete their term since 2005.

• thailand
• prime minister anutin charnvirakul
• re-election
• stability
• military
• monarchy
• bhumjaithai
• people’s party
• pheu thai
• thaksin shinawatra