Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai party took a decisive lead in Thailand’s general election on Sunday, with about 90% of votes counted, according to unofficial results released by the state Election Commission.
Data published on the commission’s website shortly before midnight showed the conservative Bhumjaithai party securing 195 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives.
At least 251 seats are required for the House to elect a prime minister and form a new government. It remained unclear whether Bhumjaithai would be able to cross that threshold on its own or would need to seek allies to form a coalition.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The progressive People’s Party, which had been widely expected to emerge as the largest party, was in second place with 114 seats. The populist Pheu Thai party, linked to the political network of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, followed with 78 seats.
Of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives, 400 are filled through direct constituency elections, while the remaining 100 are allocated from party lists based on each party’s proportional share of the national vote cast on a separate ballot. The final distribution of party-list seats could still change until counting is completed.
The election, involving about 53 million registered voters, was held amid sluggish economic growth and rising nationalist sentiment. Although more than 50 parties took part, only three — Bhumjaithai, the People’s Party and Pheu Thai — were seen as having sufficient nationwide reach to secure a strong mandate.
Pre-election surveys had consistently suggested that no single party would win an outright majority, making a coalition government likely.
Analysts had also said that even if the reformist People’s Party topped the poll, its agenda was unlikely to be shared by its main rivals, potentially leaving it unable to build a governing coalition.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The People’s Party, led by Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, was formed as the successor to the Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in the 2023 election but was blocked from forming a government by conservative lawmakers and later dissolved.
On Friday night, Natthaphong acknowledged early indications that his party would not finish first and said it would accept the election outcome.
“We respect the parliamentary system, that we have to allow the winner to form the government first, and for now, we don’t think we are going to form a government in competition with Bhumjaithai,” he said, apparently referring to any attempt to form an alternative coalition when the House votes.
He also said his party would not support Bhumjaithai’s ca