Thailand has officially unveiled its 32nd Prime Minister after the House of Representatives on Friday voted to elect Bhumjaithai Party leader and vocal casino opponent Anutin Charnvirakul to the role.
Anutin’s ascension comes after the Pheu Thai Party’s Paetongtarn Shinawatra was removed from office by the Constitutional Court last month for ethics violations – becoming the fifth Prime Minister since 2008 to be removed by a court or legal ruling. The entire Cabinet was also dissolved following her dismissal, triggering the process for a new Prime Minister.
According to information from local media outlet The Nation, Anutin received 311 votes in favor from a possible 490, with 152 votes going to Pheu Thai candidate Chaikasem Nitisiri and 27 abstaining.
Anutin was ultimately backed by the 143 votes of the opposition People’s Party, which will under an agreement with Bhumjaithai remain in opposition and without having any members taking ministerial positions.
Notably, both Bhumjaithai and the People’s Party had been fierce critics of Pheu Thai’s efforts to introduce the Entertainment Complex bill which would have legalized casino gaming within large-scale integrated resorts.
Anutin even blamed the former government’s casino policy for the recent decline in Chinese visitation to Thailand and was a key figure in having the bill dropped from the House agenda in July.
Thailand’s new Prime Minister, who turns 59 on 13 September, is the eldest son of former Minister of Interior Chavarat Charnvirakul. According to The Nation, he graduated in engineering from Hofstra University in the US and completed a Mini MBA at Thammasat University.
His political career began as an advisor to the Foreign Minister in 1996 before he served, ironically, as Deputy Minister of Public Health and Deputy Minister of Commerce in the government of Thaksin Shinawatra – the influential father of Paetongtarn.
He succeeded his father as the leader of Bhumjaithai in 2012.
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