Thailand’s Bhumjaithai set for coalition talks after surprise election win

Thailand’s Bhumjaithai Party has secured a stronger-than-expected victory in Sunday’s general election, with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul claiming victory and preparing for a coalition in the coming days.

With 93 percent of ballots counted on Monday, the conservative Bhumjaithai was far ahead of its rivals, looking set to win at least 194 of the 500 seats in Thailand’s parliament, according to Thai media.
The progressive People’s Party, which led some polls in the run-up to the vote, came in second with an estimated 116 seats.

The Pheu Thai party of jailed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra came in third, with 76 seats.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, as Bhumjaithai’s strong lead became clear, Anutin said that Thai voters have given his party “more than we expected”.

“So we owe our voters a fortune. We will only repay them by working at our utmost to bring all the good things to them, to our country,” he said.

Asked about forming a coalition and appointing a cabinet, Anutin said he was waiting for clarity on the final numbers, and that each party would need to hold internal discussions on how to proceed.

Anutin called the election in December after fewer than 100 days in office, seeking to capitalise on a wave of ‌nationalism generated by Thailand’s three-week conflict with Cambodia.

He described the election result as “a victory for all Thais”.