Thailand has officially confirmed its 32nd Prime Minister after the House of Representatives on Friday elected Bhumjaithai Party leader and outspoken casino opponent Anutin Charnvirakul.
The 58-year-old politician secured 311 out of 490 votes, defeating Pheu Thai Party nominee Chaikasem Nitisiri in the parliamentary election.
Under Thailand’s Constitution, a candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the vote—or at least 247 votes—from the 492-member House of Representatives to assume office. Anutin’s victory was made possible by crucial backing from 143 members of the opposition People’s Party, which supported his candidacy in exchange for a commitment to dissolve parliament within four months.
His ascension follows the dismissal of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was removed from office last week by court order after being found guilty of ethics violations over a politically compromising phone call with Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen. Her removal marked the fifth time since 2008 that a Thai Prime Minister has been ousted by judicial or legal ruling.
Anutin has long opposed casino legalization. Both his Bhumjaithai Party and the supporting People’s Party were vocal critics of the previous government’s Entertainment Complex bill, which sought to legalize casino gaming within large-scale integrated resorts. He even attributed Thailand’s recent decline in Chinese tourism to the casino policy and played a key role in having the bill dropped from the House agenda in July.
Born in 1966, Anutin is the eldest son of former Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul. He earned a degree in engineering from Hofstra University in the United States and later completed a Mini MBA at Thammasat University. His political career began in 1996 as an advisor to the Foreign Minister. He later served as Deputy Minister of Public Health and Deputy Minister of Commerce under Thaksin Shinawatra’s government.
Anutin succeeded his father as Bhumjaithai Party leader in 2012 and served in the Pheu Thai-led coalition that took power in 2023. He and his new government are expected to take office within days, following formal appointment by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
