Thailand’s parliament is set to elect right-wing construction magnate Anutin Charnvirakul as prime minister on Friday, in a move that would sideline the powerful Shinawatra family after two decades of political dominance.
The Pheu Thai party, led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was left in disarray after the Constitutional Court last week removed her from office for breaching ministerial ethics.
The ruling forced the dynasty into caretaker mode, creating an opening for Anutin, a veteran politician and former health minister known for legalising cannabis in 2022.
Anutin, 58, secured support from his Bhumjaithai Party — the third largest in parliament — along with the opposition People’s Party and other smaller blocs, likely giving him the 247 votes needed to win. Debate began Friday in a parliament building constructed by Anutin’s family firm.
“It’s normal to feel excited,” he told reporters before the vote.
Meanwhile, former prime minister and Pheu Thai patriarch Thaksin Shinawatra left the country for Dubai ahead of a Supreme Court ruling next week on the legality of his early release from jail. Thaksin has vowed to return to face the decision, which could see him re-imprisoned.
The Shinawatra clan, long locked in battles with Thailand’s pro-military and pro-monarchy establishment, faces one of its sharpest setbacks yet.
Analysts say Anutin’s rise could reshape the kingdom’s political order, though the People’s Party has conditioned its support on dissolving parliament for fresh elections within four months.
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