Thai politics fell into a spiral of uncertainty after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was removed from office by the Constitutional Court. Now, the most notable name is billionaire Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of Bhumjaithai Party, and the one who made his mark when legalizing medical marijuana.
After many days of intense negotiations, the People's Party - the largest opposition party with 143 seats in the House of Representatives - has declared its readiness to support Mr. Anutin to become interim Prime Minister, but with the strict condition of dissolving the National Assembly within 4 months and committing to changing the constitution, possibly through a popular vote.
The People's Party affirmed that it will not participate in the new government, only giving votes for Mr. Anutin to have enough seats to hold power, with the goal of paving the way for a more democratic election.
Under this pressure, Mr. Anutin pledged to accept all the conditions, and confidently declared that he had enough support to sit in the hot seat.
Last week, the Thai Constitutional Court removed Ms. Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former Prime Minister Thaksin, from her position as Prime Minister after only one year in power, on charges of violating ethical standards in handling border disputes with Cambodia.
This is not the first time the court has intervened deeply, as many party groups and leaders have been dispersed or banned from political activities. The People's Party is also the "replacement" of move Forward - a party dissolved last year for wanting to reform the law during the military.
In that context, the Pheu Thai Party of the Shinawatra family also suddenly submitted a petition to the king to dissolve the National Assembly, but it was unclear whether the interim government had the authority to do so.
Born into a family of one of the largest construction groups in Thailand, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul is both a billionaire and a conservative politician. He was famous for holding the position of Minister of Health during the pandemic, and at the same time caused controversy when promoting the legalization of medical marijuana - a bold decision that changed the pharmaceutical and agricultural sectors of Thailand.
His Bhumjaithai Party was once in alliance with Pheu Thai, but withdrew when the Cambodian border crisis broke out. Now, being supported by the People's Party can help him overcome Pheu Thai's fierce opponent to temporarily take power.
If Mr. Anutin succeeds, this will be a heavy blow to the influence of the Shinawatra family, which has dominated Thai politics for decades. Meanwhile, the People's Party emerged as "the winner of the game", although it still declared that the ultimate goal was only to bring the country back to the democratic path through new elections and constitutional reform.
A primary vote could take place as early as tomorrow, September 5, promising a new turning point in Thailand's endless political crisis.
