Thai PM Dissolves Parliament to Return Power

Thailand’s parliament has been dissolved, paving the way for a general election within the next 45 to 60 days, following escalating clashes with Cambodia along their shared border.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced the dissolution in a royal decree published on Friday. He cited the ongoing border dispute, which has resulted in at least 20 deaths and displaced hundreds of thousands, as a key factor alongside other challenges facing his three-month-old minority government.

“The appropriate solution is to dissolve parliament, which is a way to return political power to the people,” the Prime Minister stated in the decree.

Anutin, a business tycoon, is Thailand’s third Prime Minister since August 2023. He had previously indicated he would dissolve parliament by the end of January, but the move was expedited due to an impending vote of no confidence.

The decision follows criticism of the Bhumjaithai party’s handling of severe flooding in southern Thailand last month, which tragically claimed the lives of at least 176 people.

The dissolution also comes after the Prime Minister lost the crucial support of the People’s Party – the largest in parliament and a traditionally progressive force. The People’s Party and the Bhumjaithai party hold opposing ideological positions.

Initially, the People’s Party had offered support to Anutin’s government, but with conditions. These included initiating reforms to Thailand’s military-drafted constitution and dissolving parliament within four months. The party now accuses Bhumjaithai of reneging on this agreement.

“We had planned to submit a no-confidence motion against the government on Friday,” Thai media reported, adding that the People’s Party had urged the Prime Minister to disband parliament on Thursday to demonstrate accountability to the Thai people. “See you at the polling stations,” the party declared in a Facebook statement.

Thailand has experienced significant political instability in the past year, with two previous Prime Ministers removed from office by the courts. Anutin’s predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was ousted for ethical violations after a leaked phone call revealed her referring to Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, as “uncle” and criticizing the Thai army. Before her, Srettha Thavisin was also removed for ethical breaches related to a cabinet appointment.

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