Thailand's new parliament set to elect Anutin as PM Estelle.Bronkhorst Thu, 03/19/2026 - 09:00 BANGKOK - Thailand's new parliament is set to elect Anutin Charnvirakul as prime minister, keeping the conservative in the top office after his party routed its election rivals with a nationalist campaign. The Southeast Asian nation's next government will have to handle the fallout from the Middle East war, sluggish economic growth and lingering border tensions with neighbour Cambodia. Anutin's pro-military and pro-monarchy Bhumjaithai party had its best electoral performance ever in February after two rounds of deadly border clashes with Cambodia last year. Bhumjaithai promised to build a wall on the Cambodian frontier, keep all border crossings closed and recruit 100,000 volunteer soldiers, winning the most seats of any party and putting Anutin in pole position to head the next government. The third-placed Pheu Thai party of jailed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra agreed to join him in a coalition, alongside several smaller parties, and parliament will anoint him on Thursday. The 59-year-old millionaire heir to a family construction fortune -- who championed the decriminalisation of cannabis in Thailand -- was first elected prime minister in September. He came to office after his predecessor, Paetongtarn
