Thai politics in Cabinet fever as PM race heats up, 7 candidates

Following the removal of former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, several media outlets are closely watching the selection of the next PM and the formation of the new Cabinet with seven potential candidates from five coalition government parties.

According to Section 159 of the Constitution, the appointment of the PM of Thailand involves five conditions:

1. The House of Representatives must appoint the PM by selecting a candidate who meets the qualifications outlined in Section 160.
2. The candidate for PM must be nominated by a political party from the list specified in Section 88.
3. The nominating political party must hold at least five per cent of the total seats in the House of Representatives.
4. The nomination must be endorsed by at least one-tenth of the total members of the House of Representatives.
5. The House of Representatives must approve the PM’s appointment through open voting, with more than half of the total members in favour.

The list of prime ministerial candidates from political parties with members elected to the House of Representatives, representing at least 5% of the total membership (or 25 members), includes seven names from five coalition government parties:

• Paetongtarn Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai Party.
• Chaikasem Nitisiri, former advisor to the ex-PM Srettha.
• Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party.
• Prawit Wongsuwon, leader of the Palang Pracharath Party.
• Prayut Chan-o-cha, former PM and leader of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party.
• Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, former Deputy PM, Minister of Energy, and current leader of Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party.
• Jurin Laksanawisit, former leader of the Democrat Party.

Paetongtarn emerged as a strong candidate for PM due to her significant role in the Pheu Thai Party after being selected as party leader in October of the previous year, ahead of the recent General Election. Many expect her to follow in the footsteps of her father, former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.

Another potential candidate from the Pheu Thai Party is 75 year old Chaikasem, who was previously proposed as a PM candidate twice, in 2019 and 2023. Chaikasem began his political career relatively late, having spent most of his life in the legal field as the former Attorney General of Thailand.

Under Paetongtarn’s leadership in the Pheu Thai Party, Chaikasem became a candidate for PM alongside Paetongtarn and Srettha. After Srettha secured the PM position, Chaikasem became an advisor to the PM. He was listed as a party-list Member of Parliament but later resigned on 9 October.

As the coalition government party with the second most MP seats, the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, Anutin, is another strong candidate. The 57 year old politician is known for his business role in construction and engineering companies and his significant political role in the Covid-19 response and the legalisation of cannabis for medical use.

The leading candidate from the Palang Pracharath Party is its leader, Prawit Wongsuwan, who briefly served as PM in 2022. The 79 year old retired Thai general served as Deputy PM between 2014 and 2023 under both military and civilian governments and was a key figure in the 2014 coup.

The 29th PM of Thailand, who was in position after the 2014 coup, Prayut Chan-o-cha, also appears on the list of potential candidates. Prayut previously led the National Council for Peace and Order before winning a general election in 2019.

Another candidate from the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party is the party leader, former Deputy PM and Energy Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga. Pirapan began his professional career in the legal field as an assistant judge and later began his political career in 1996 as an MP representing the Huay Kwang district of Bangkok.

The former leader of the Democrat Party, Jurin Laksanawisit, is the latest candidate on the list. The 68 year old leading member of the Democrat Party began his career as an MP in 1996. Jurin served as Minister of Public Health between 2008 and 2011, then became Deputy PM and Minister of Commerce under the leadership of former PM Prayut.

As of now, the schedule for the selection of the 31st Prime Minister of Thailand has not yet been finalised. The Secretary-General of the House of Representatives, Aphat Sukhanan, revealed in an interview with Matichon that the President of the National Assembly of Thailand would later call the leaders of the government and opposition parties to a meeting before finalising the schedule.