Thailand Election: Anutin claims victory as Bhumjaithai takes lead

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has claimed victory in the country’s general election after preliminary results showed his Bhumjaithai Party taking a clear lead, reports BBC.

With around 56 percent of the votes counted, Bhumjaithai is ahead by a wide margin, defying pre-election polls that had predicted a strong showing for the reformist People’s Party.

Latest estimates suggest Bhumjaithai could secure around 197 seats in the 500-member parliament, while the People’s Party is projected to win approximately 110 seats.

Declaring victory, Anutin said the mandate belonged to all Thai citizens. “Whether you voted for us or not, we will work for everyone,” he said.

People’s Party leader Nataphong Ruengpanyawut is seen as having indirectly conceded defeat, stating that his party would play a responsible role in opposition should Anutin form the next government.

The election follows two years of political instability, marked by the collapse of multiple coalition governments and the replacement of three prime ministers. More than 50 political parties contested the polls, though the race largely narrowed to a three-way contest between Bhumjaithai, the People’s Party, and Pheu Thai, the party linked to jailed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

As no party is expected to secure an outright majority, negotiations to form a coalition government have already begun. Despite this, Anutin’s continuation as prime minister is widely seen as almost certain.

Alongside parliamentary elections, Thai voters also took part in a referendum on drafting a new constitution, casting ballots on a separate yellow paper with the options “yes,” “no,” or “no opinion.”

The referendum seeks public opinion on reforming the 2017 constitution, drafted under the military-backed government that came to power after the 2014 coup. Critics argue the charter grants excessive power to unelected bodies, including the Senate.

“I want change. I don’t want everything to stay the same,” one voter told the BBC.