It's battle royale - Here are the candidates to watch in Thailand’s hotly-anticipated election
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Loading... - Valli Kongkaeo
- 19 Apr 2023
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The race to be Thailand’s next prime minister is a crowded field with dozens of people vying for the post, but the battle is expected to be mainly between the incumbent Prayuth Chan-Ocha and Paetongtarn Shinawatra, a young politician from the storied Shinawatra clan.
Their clash sets the tone for the May 14 general election, seen as a contest between the pro-establishment groups of the ruling military-backed coalition and a pro-democracy camp of opposition parties.
More than 60 parties have registered their candidates for the election to the 500-seat House of Representatives, where 400 members will be elected using the first-past-the-post method and the remaining to be picked using a proportional representation system.
These lawmakers, together with the 250 members of the Senate, get to decide who will be Thailand’s 30th premier. As the Senate is stacked with allies of the current establishment, Paetongtarn’s Pheu Thai Party needs at least 376 seats through support of allies to succeed. With major parties mum on pre-poll alliances, preliminary results will determine coalition dynamics as parties haggle over key cabinet positions.
Here’s a look at the key candidates:
Prayut Chan-O-Cha, 69
A former army chief who seized power in 2014, Prayuth has ruled Thailand for nearly a decade and is the top prime minister candidate of conservative United Thai Nation Party. He has a head start in the race, as he’s favored to win the backing of many of the 250 senators, whose votes will be key to picking the next leader.
As junta leader, Prayuth cracked down on dissidents and claimed he would restore peace and order after his coup stopped months of street protests against then premier Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra - whose term was also ended by a military takeover. Prayuth oversaw the royal succession of King Maha Vajiralongkorn at a critical juncture in Thailand’s history after the passing of the much-beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years.
Prayuth was chosen to stay on as prime minister after the 2019 election, when conservative Palang Pracharath Party cobbled together a coalition of 18 parties to keep him in power. He’s known to have a temper and there were instances he displayed it publicly, including in the presence of journalists. At the same time, he has composed several ballads about patriotism and unity which portray him as an honest and misunderstood leader who will steer Thailand through rough waters. Read More…
