BANGKOK — Thailand’s political arena intensified on Sunday as parties formally registered their prime ministerial candidates, signaling the commencement of unofficial campaigning for the February 8 general election. The electoral landscape emerges following Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s dissolution of Parliament this month, a strategic maneuver to consolidate his Bhumjaithai Party’s parliamentary strength amid mounting opposition pressure.
The upcoming election presents a triangular contest between Anutin’s conservative faction, the progressive People’s Party, and the populist Pheu Thai Party backed by incarcerated former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Simultaneously, voters will participate in a constitutional referendum championed by progressive forces seeking to diminish the influence of unelected bureaucratic bodies.
Anutin’s brief three-month tenure witnessed declining popularity due to catastrophic southern flooding and high-profile corruption scandals. However, his administration may have regained nationalist support through heightened military engagements with Cambodia regarding persistent border disputes.
The Electoral Commission reported 68 prime ministerial candidates from 32 parties, alongside 1,502 party-list nominees from 52 organizations. Additionally, 3,092 constituency candidates will compete for direct electoral mandates. Bhumjaithai strategically nominated only two candidates—Anutin himself and Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow as secondary option.
A significant development involves the dissolution of the temporary alliance between Anutin’s party and the People’s Party. Their September power-sharing arrangement—where progressive lawmakers supported Anutin’s premiership in exchange for constitutional referendum commitments—has collapsed amid accusations of bad faith. People’s Party leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut has unequivocally declared that no party legislators will endorse either Anutin or Sihasak for premiership.
The progressive faction continues advocating controversial reforms, including amnesty for political detainees imprisoned under Thailand’s stringent lèse-majesté laws. This stance positions them directly against the nation’s powerful royalist establishment. Meanwhile, Pheu Thai has nominated 46-year-old Yodchanan Wongsawat as their primary candidate, maintaining Thaksin’s influence despite his imprisonment for corruption and power abuse convictions.