Thailand looks set to call new elections by year's end

Thailand looks set to call for new elections before the end of the year, with the only question being a matter of when.

Dissolve the parliament

Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Sep. 3 he had sought royal approval to dissolve the House of Representatives, Thailand’s parliament, as reported by the Bangkok Post.

The Post quoted a spokesperson for Wechayachai’s Pheu Thai Party as saying that the caretaker PM had done so on the evening of Sep. 2.

However, there is some debate whether a caretaker PM has the requisite power to dissolve parliament, with the secretary-general of the Council of State suggesting that they do not.

The Council of State is an advisory body that reports to the Thai PM and is currently led by a member of the Pheu Thai Party, and its opinions are not legally binding.

But it appears that any attempt to dissolve parliament under a caretaker PM will be challenged in the Constitutional Court, a process that will likely take months.

Dismissal

Wechayachai took up the caretaker PM role in early July 2025, after Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the Constitutional Court after a phone call between her and former Cambodian PM Hun Sen was leaked.

The call, in which she addressed him familiarly as “Uncle”, and comments she made in the call have been interpreted as being disparaging to Thailand’s military.

The Constitutional Court found her guilty of ethics and integrity violations, and confirmed that she would be dismissed as PM on Aug. 29.

She is the second Pheu Thai PM to be dismissed since the last Thai General election in May 2023.

Once and future coalitions

There is now some argy-bargy over who will be the next PM of Thailand, and for how long.

The Pheu Thai Party came to power by forming a coalition with eight other political parties, but is only the second largest party in Thailand’s parliament, currently holding 135 seats.

It had initially sought a coalition with the Move Forward Party (MFP), which won 151 seats in the GE, but failed to gain sufficient support in Thailand’s upper house.

MFP was subsequently dissolved by the Constitutional Court, with its leader dismissed as an MP, eventually reforming into the People’s Party, which is currently the largest party with 143 seats.

When the coalition with MFP broke down, Pheu Thai formed a coalition with the conservative Bhumjaithai Party, to the disapproval of the MFP, as they considered themselves ideologically opposed.

Bhumjaithai had initially been the second largest party in the Pheu Thai-led government, but left the government in protest after Paetongtarn’s phone call was leaked.

Assistance, but not government

But the People’s Party (PP), the MFP’s successor, has now teamed up with the Bhumjaithai Party, signing a nomination agreement with them for Bhumjaithai’s leader, Anutin Charnvirakul, to be the PM in a minority government.

Thailand is set to decide on a new PM in upcoming days.

The Bangkok Post reports that the PP have signed a written agreement with Bhumjaithai to support Anutin, but has declined to participate in his government and will hold no cabinet appointments.

The PP’s leader, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, said that his party would have the power to “direct” the new government.

However, it remains to be seen if Anutin has assembled enough votes to become PM, requiring 247 out of 492, and his party only holds 69 seats.

Anutin thanked the PP for their support and said that the agreement had required “cooperation and sacrifice” from the PP.

In turn, he would honour the agreement that they had made, which involved calling for fresh elections after four months, at the end of the year.

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Top image via Anutin Charnvirakul/Facebook