Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s Bhumjaithai Party has secured a decisive victory in the country’s recent general election, winning around 190 seats and moving toward forming a coalition government. The result defied most pre-election surveys that had predicted a lead for the reformist People’s Party. The outcome delivered a major setback to young reformists who had hoped to build on earlier momentum.

The mixed electoral system played a key role in shaping the result. Thai voters cast two ballots—one for local candidates and another for party lists. Although the People’s Party received about 10 million votes nationwide, surpassing Bhumjaithai’s 6 million in the party-list count, only 20 percent of the 500 parliamentary seats are allocated from party lists. The remaining 80 percent are decided through direct local contests, where Bhumjaithai’s long-standing local networks and influential figures proved decisive.

Anutin’s strategy of recruiting experienced politicians and consolidating conservative voters through nationalist and pro-monarchy positions strengthened his party’s dominance, marking an unexpected turn in Thailand’s political landscape.