Vote counting underway in 3-way race

Polling stations closed across Thailand on Sunday after a day of voting to elect a new parliament.

The vote was a three-way race between the reformist People’s Party, the conservative Bhumjaithai Party of incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Pheu Thai, the party backed by the still-influential Shinawatra family.

Analysts predicted a close race that was unlikely to yield an outright winner, with difficult coalition negotiations expected to follow the election.

The vote was held with the country’s economy and its vital tourist sector struggling, and amid heightened tensions with neighbor Cambodia that have resulted in deadly clashes along the border.

The country has churned through three prime ministers in under three years since the last general election in 2023.

Thailand, which has seen 13 successful military coups since becoming a constitutional monarchy in 1932, has a long history of political instability.

Who are the main players in the Thai elections?

Ahead of the vote, surveys suggest that the People’s Party (PP) would win the most votes for the 500-seat lower house.

Its candidate for prime minister is 38-year-old entrepreneur Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut.

The PP is the successor to the progressive and reformist Move Forward party, which won the last election in 2023 by a landslide.

But Move Forward’s candidate for prime minister was blocked, and the party was later dissolved after the Constitutional Court found that its reformist agenda amounted to an attempt to overthrow the monarchy.

The PP softened that reformist messaging during the campaign for this election.

Even if the People’s Party were to win the most votes on Sunday, analysts say it is unlikely to win enough of a majority to govern.

The other major players are Pheu Thai and conservative Bhumjaithai, led by incumbent Prime Minister Anutin, who is widely expected to retain his job in a coalition deal.

Pheu Thai, which has long dominated Thai politics, has seen its influence decline after Anutin’s predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was removed from office last year.

Paetongtarn’s father, Thaksin, and the political dynasty he leads have shaped Thai politics for more than two decades.

Thaksin, a telecoms tycoon and former prime minister, is currently serving a one-year prison sentence for corruption and abuse of power.

Thais to also vote in constitutional referendum

Thais also voted Sunday in a constitutional referendum on whether the current military-backed charter from 2017 should be replaced.

The ballot asked voters if they “approve that there should be a new constitution,” with options of “Yes,” “No,” or “No opinion.”

The referendum is not an immediate vote on a new constitution. A majority “Yes” vote would give parliament a public mandate to start a multi‑stage drafting process that would require two more referendums before a new charter could be adopted.

Edited by: Sean Sinico