The recent general election in Thailand witnessed a major shock when Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and the Bhumjaithai Party won a spectacular victory over the pro-democracy opposition. This result marks the strong return of the pro-royal conservative faction in this century.
Political gamble and national waves
The origin of this power transfer began on August 29, 2025, when former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra was impeached by the Constitutional Court for ethical violations related to diplomatic tensions with Cambodia. The opposition People's Party at that time agreed to support Mr. Anutin as interim Prime Minister on the condition of holding early elections, believing that they would win resoundingly.
However, in the months before the February 8 election, Thai voters' psychology has shifted strongly to nationalism, driven by the simmering border tensions. Mr. Anutin has thoroughly exploited the "law and order" platform, while committing to protect traditional power structures. Preliminary results show that Bhumjaithai will be the largest bloc in the 500-seat House of Representatives, allowing him to form a solid ruling coalition.
Choice for stability
With the Bhumjaithai Party controlling the Senate since 2024, this victory in the House of Representatives helps Mr. Anutin hold significant legislative power. This helps minimize the risk of political deadlock, which has been Thailand's "specialty" in recent years, while creating a major barrier to the opposition's efforts to amend the constitution or reform the army.
For investors, an alliance led by Bhumjaithai is considered the least risky scenario. Mr. Anutin is expected to maintain traditional pragmatic foreign policy, balancing relations with both the US and China.
However, the economic problem remains. Thailand is struggling with an average growth rate of only 1% per year, a rapidly aging population and reduced competitiveness compared to neighboring countries such as Vietnam or Indonesia. Mr. Anutin's economic policy leans towards short-term stimulus rather than structural reform. His party proposes a stimulus package worth 148 billion baht (4.7 billion USD) per year, including the government's co-payment of living expenses and reduced electricity prices.
From "Cannabis King" to status quo protector
Mr. Anutin, 59 years old, is the son of a former deputy prime minister and used to run the giant construction group Stecon Group. His political career is proof of patience in building alliances rather than unexpected breakthroughs. Having served under both civil and military governments, he skillfully built the image of a reliable "gatekeeper" for the conservative faction.
Once dubbed the "King of marijuana" when taking the lead in legalizing marijuana in Asia in 2022, Mr. Anutin in this campaign actively kept a distance from the above issue to attract conservative voters.
As a wealthy politician with a fortune of 140 million USD, he is also known for his interesting personal life: collecting amulets, playing the saxophone and flying his own plane to transport donated hearts to organ transplant patients.
Mr. Anutin's victory opens a new, more stable chapter for Thai politics, but whether he can revive the stagnant economy remains a big question.
