Thai PM Anutin’s party on course for victory in general election

Thailand’s ruling Bhumjaithai Party is on course for a victory in a snap general election, giving Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul the upper hand in forming a new coalition government.

With around 90 percent of polling stations reporting results, Anutin’s party is leading in 194 of the 500 seats in the lower house of parliament, according to partial results released by the country’s election commission.
The results suggest that Anutin’s will likely fall short of securing an outright majority in the lower chamber. The progressive People’s Party is leading in 115 seats, and the populist Pheu Thai Party, backed by the billionaire former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was jailed last year, is leading in 77 seats, the results showed.

“Bhumjaithai’s victory today is a victory for all Thais, whether you voted for Bhumjaithai Party or not,” Anutin told a press briefing.

“We have to do the utmost to serve the Thai people to our full ability.”

People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut appeared to concede defeat as the results came in, telling reporters, “We acknowledge that we did not come first.”

“We stand by our principle of respecting the party that finishes first and its right to form the government,” said Ruengpanyawut.

He said his party would not join a Bhumjaithai-led government and would also not form a competing coalition.

“If Bhumjaithai can form a government, then we have to be the opposition,” Natthaphong told a press conference.

Bhumjaithai, seen as the preferred choice of the royalist-military establishment, centred its campaign on economic stimulus and national security, tapping into nationalist fervour stoked by deadly border clashes with neighbouring Cambodia.