Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Friday that his Bhumjaithai Party will form a coalition government with the Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai Party, which finished third in the February 8 general election. According to the Election Commission, Bhumjaithai won 193 of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives, followed by the reformist People’s Party with 118 seats and Pheu Thai with 74 seats.

The alliance would give Anutin’s party a parliamentary majority, paving the way for a stable coalition after a period of political turbulence. Anutin said after discussions with Pheu Thai leaders that they would work together to govern the country effectively. Pheu Thai, once Thailand’s most successful party, suffered its worst electoral performance this time, raising concerns about its future.

Bhumjaithai previously belonged to a Pheu Thai-led coalition formed after the 2023 election but withdrew in June following a leaked phone call between then-Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. Paetongtarn was later dismissed by court order, and Anutin replaced her before dissolving parliament in December, triggering the snap election.