Thai Parliament Faces PM Vote as Thaksin Departs Amid Political Upheaval

BANGKOK, Sept 5: Thailand’s parliament convened on Friday to elect a new prime minister, in a vote clouded by the sudden departure of former leader Thaksin Shinawatra, the country’s most influential political figure, who left for Dubai on Thursday night.

Thaksin’s exit comes just days before a court ruling that could see him jailed, further intensifying the turmoil triggered by last week’s ouster of his daughter and protégé, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was removed as prime minister for an ethics violation.

The political shake-up has left Thaksin’s Pheu Thai Party in disarray and opened the door for former coalition partner Bhumjaithai, led by Anutin Charnvirakul, to seize power. Anutin has emerged as the frontrunner in Friday’s parliamentary vote after securing support from the largest bloc in parliament with a pledge to hold fresh elections within four months.

Bhumjaithai controls 146 seats, and with the People’s Party pledging its 143 votes from the opposition benches, Anutin is poised to easily cross the 247-vote threshold needed to form a government.

Pheu Thai, long the dominant force in Thai politics, attempted to counter Anutin’s momentum by nominating 77-year-old former attorney-general Chaikasem Nitisiri as its candidate, promising to call a snap election immediately if he won. However, analysts say Chaikasem’s chances are slim in light of the party’s internal crisis and Thaksin’s abrupt departure.

Thaksin, 76, announced overnight on social media that he had flown to Dubai for a medical checkup. The former prime minister spent 15 years in self-imposed exile before returning in 2023 to serve an eight-year sentence for abuse of power and conflicts of interest. His sentence was later reduced to one year by royal pardon, and he was released on parole after six months, following a controversial hospital stay.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on Tuesday whether his hospital time counts as part of his sentence, a decision that could determine whether Thaksin is sent back to prison.

Political observers say the parliamentary vote is likely to cement Anutin’s rise.

“Anutin has outmaneuvered Pheu Thai by forging a pact with the opposition,” said Wanwichit Boonprong, a political science lecturer at Rangsit University. “I’m quite confident that Anutin will be elected as the next prime minister. Pheu Thai’s tactics are like the final show, the curtain has closed.”