Thai tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday took office as prime minister, with the cannabis-championing conservative ousting the nation’s dominant political dynasty and setting course for elections early next year.
Since 2023 elections, Thailand’s top office has been monopolized by the Pheu Thai party of the Shinatawatra dynasty — a populist force which has long sparred with the pro-monarchy and pro-military establishment.
However, dynasty heiress Paetongtarn Shinawatra was last month sacked by court order, and Anutin rushed to piece together his own coalition government — winning a Friday parliament vote to shut Pheu Thai out of office.
Photo: the Royal Thai Government via EPA
Anutin previously served as the Thai deputy prime minister, interior minister and health minister — but is perhaps most famous for being the architect of Thailand’s 2022 cannabis decriminalization.
The construction magnate becomes the kingdom’s third leader in two years, but has taken power with coalition backing conditional on him dissolving parliament within four months to hold fresh elections.
“I will work at my full capacity with honesty and morality worthy of his majesty’s trust, for the benefit of the people and for the country,” Anutin said immediately after taking office.
His term officially began after the royal endorsement of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, read aloud in a formal ceremony at Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party headquarters in Bangkok.
“His majesty the king has endorsed Anutin Charnvirakul to be prime minister from now onward,” Thai House of Representatives Secretary-General Arpath Sukhanunth said, reading out the royal command.
Anutin is also known for managing tourism-dependent Thailand’s COVID-19 response and causing a backlash after accusing Westerners of spreading the virus.
He was once an ally of the Shinawatras — who have been a dominant force in Thai politics since the turn of the century, but are increasingly faltering after a succession of legal and political setbacks.
Anutin abandoned his coalition with their Pheu Thai Party this summer in apparent outrage over Paetongtarn’s conduct during a border row with neighboring Cambodia.
The Thai Constitutional Court on Aug. 29 found that conduct had breached ministerial ethics and fired her after only a year in power.
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