Thailand's Caretaker PM Attempts To Dissolve The Parliament

Thailand is scrambling to hold an election before the end of the year, after the caretaker Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai reportedly tried to seek the royal's approval to dissolve the House of Representatives.

However, questions remain if the Caretaker premier really has the authority to dissolve the parliament, with the secretary-general of the Council of State pushing back arguing that he doesn't.

The Council of State is an advisory body that reports to the Thai PM, suggesting that its opposition to the Caretaker PM's decision might not hold ground.

However, the attempt to dissolve parliament now is expected to face challenges in the Constitutional Court, potentially prolonging the political uncertainty.

Wechayachai assumed the caretaker role in July after former PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra was suspended by the Constitutional Court after her phone call with the Cambodian PM Hun Sen was leaked.

In the call, she addressed PM Hun familiarly as "Uncle", and allegedly have made comments in the call that were interpreted as being disparaging to the Thailand's military.

Shinawatra was dismissed by the Constitutional Court for ethics violations, becoming the second Pheu Thai PM to be removed since the general election in 2023.

Coalition Jockeying and the Race for Premiership

Uncertainty now surrounds who will become Thailand’s next prime minister — and how long they will remain in office.

Thailand’s ruling party, Pheu Thai, came into power by forming a coalition with eight other politicial partiers, but still is the second largest party in Thailand's parliaments.

The party currently holds 135 seats and initially sought a coalition government with the Move Forward Party (MFP), which won 151 seats but failed to rise to power after gaining insufficient votes from the Thailand's upper house.

The MFP was later dissolved by the Constitutional Court, with its leader dismissed as an MP. MFP’s successor, the People’s Party (PP) with 143 seats, formed an alliance with the conservative Bhumjaithai Party (69 seats).

This coalition backs Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul as the next prime minister, although PP has stated it will not join Anutin’s cabinet but will support the government and influence policy decisions.

Anutin needs at least 247 votes in the 492-seat parliament to be confirmed as PM. With his party’s 69 seats and backing from PP, the path appears feasible, though uncertainties remain. Anutin has pledged to call fresh elections within four months of taking office, aimed at restoring political stability.

As Thailand navigates this fragile political landscape, the push for new elections underscores both the resilience and volatility of its democratic processes.

The coming weeks will be decisive for shaping the country’s leadership and political direction amid coalition realignments and legal debates.