Anutin Charnvirakul, a right-wing construction magnate, has been elected as Thailand’s new Prime Minister. On Friday, September 5, 2025, he secured victory in a parliamentary vote.
According to the official results, Anutin, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, received 311 votes from the 492 members of the National Assembly. His conservative opposition party is the third largest in parliament.
Deputy Speaker Chalad Khamchuang announced, “The parliament has approved Anutin Charnvirakul as Prime Minister.”
The 58-year-old Anutin previously served as Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister, Interior Minister, and Health Minister. He is perhaps best known for fulfilling his 2022 promise to legalize cannabis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while overseeing Thailand’s response, he accused Western countries of spreading the virus, later apologizing amid backlash.
Since the 2023 elections, the powerful Shinawatra family’s Pheu Thai Party had dominated Thailand’s top leadership. However, last week, a court ruling ousted Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the family’s successor, from the Prime Minister’s office. Anutin, who once supported Paetongtarn’s coalition, withdrew his backing this summer over her conduct during a border dispute with Cambodia. On Thursday, he told reporters, “The only common enemy among political parties is the enemy of the nation. We must stand together.”
On August 29, 2025, Thailand’s Constitutional Court ruled that Paetongtarn’s conduct violated ministerial ethics, leading to her dismissal after just one year in office. Anutin capitalized on this, securing the support of the opposition People’s Party, which holds 143 seats, on the condition that he dissolve parliament and call a general election within four months.
Notably, Paetongtarn’s removal stemmed from a June phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen, which the court deemed an ethical violation. In the call, she was heard criticizing Thai military commanders and adopting a conciliatory tone. Paetongtarn later defended herself, claiming she aimed for diplomatic success through the conversation
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