With an overwhelming advantage in parliamentary seats, Mr. Anutin is facing a great opportunity to continue to steer the new government and reshape the political map of Thailand.
According to unofficial results announced by the Thai Election Commission on the evening of February 8 (local time), the Bhumjaithai Party won convincingly in the general election, becoming the strongest political force in the new House of Representatives.
By 11:45 pm on February 8 local time, when about 89% of the votes were counted, Bhumjaithai was predicted to win up to 175 regional seats, out of a total of 400 seats voted directly.
This is a result that far exceeds all predictions before the election, and marks a spectacular leap forward for Bhumjaithai compared to previous elections. In 2019, this party only won 51 seats, and in 2023 it was 71 seats and was not considered the leading candidate for the position of leading the government. This time, the situation has been completely different.
With the current results, plus the possibility of alliance with the Klatham party - the party predicted to win about 56 seats - Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is in the "flagpole" position in the process of forming a new government.
Speaking after the preliminary results were announced, Mr. Anutin called this a "clear signal" from voters and affirmed that Bhumjaithai is ready to cooperate with other parties to ensure political stability.
Ranked after Bhumjaithai is the People's Party - representing the reform trend, with about 85 seats. Meanwhile, the Pheu Thai Party, a party associated with the Shinawatra family and who has repeatedly dominated Thai politics, only won about 60 seats, a result considered modest compared to expectations.
In total, the Thai House of Representatives has 500 seats, elected by a mixed system. Of which, 400 seats are decided in the form of "whoever gets the most votes wins" in the constituencies, and the remaining 100 seats are parliamentarians according to party lists, allocated based on the national vote rate of each party.
The allocation of seats in this list is expected to take at least 2 weeks, which means that Bhumjaithai is likely to increase the number of seats in the House of Representatives.
According to regulations, the Thai Election Commission must complete the vote counting, certification of results and official announcement within 60 days from the election date, the deadline is April 9. After that, the new National Assembly will have to convene the first meeting within 15 days to elect the Speaker and Vice Chairmen of the House of Representatives.
The next important step is the vote to choose the Prime Minister. Candidates who want to become the head of government need to win the support of more than half of the total number of MPs, which is at least 251 votes.
With the current balance of power, Mr. Anutin has a clear advantage, especially if he quickly reaches an alliance agreement with centrist parties or potential partners.
Observers believe that Bhumjaithai's victory reflects a significant shift in the psychology of Thai voters, as many people choose a force that is considered pragmatic, flexible and less confrontational in the context of a still challenging socio-economy.
This result also opens a new stage for Thai politics, where alliances and compromises can play a decisive role in shaping the government and upcoming policies.
