Thaksin departs as Thai parliament readies for PM vote amid political turmoil

BANGKOK, Sept 5 — Thailand’s parliament is set to elect a new prime minister on Friday after days of political turbulence, a vote now overshadowed by the sudden departure of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin, a polarising billionaire and a dominant figure in Thai politics for over two decades, left for Dubai on his private jet late Thursday, just days before a court ruling that could see him jailed. His exit comes as his family’s Pheu Thai party reels from internal upheaval.

The crisis was triggered last week when a court removed his daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as prime minister over an ethics violation, opening the door for rival parties to seize power. Pheu Thai, which has won five of the past six elections, now faces a major challenge from its former ally, Bhumjaithai, which has rallied support by promising new elections within four months.

Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul has emerged as the frontrunner for Friday’s vote. His coalition controls 146 seats, and with the People’s Party pledging its 143 votes from the opposition benches, Anutin appears well placed to secure the 247-seat majority needed to become prime minister.

In a last-minute move, Pheu Thai nominated 77-year-old former attorney-general Chaikasem Nitisiri as its candidate, promising to call a snap election if he wins. But Thaksin’s abrupt departure and his party’s deepening divisions have left Chaikasem’s chances slim.

Thaksin, 76, said in a post on X that he had arrived in Dubai for a medical checkup and would return to Thailand by Monday. He previously spent 15 years in self-imposed exile to avoid jail for abuse of power and conflicts of interest during his 2001–2006 premiership.

When he returned in 2023, Thaksin was given an eight-year sentence, though the king later reduced it to one year. After six months in detention — mostly spent in a hospital wing — he was released on parole. The Supreme Court will decide on Tuesday whether his hospital stay counts toward time served; if not, he could be sent back to prison.

Analysts say Anutin has outflanked Thaksin’s party. “I’m quite confident Anutin will be elected as the next prime minister,” said Wanwichit Boonprong, political science lecturer at Rangsit University. “Pheu Thai’s tactics are like the final show … the curtain has closed.” — Reuters