- Magner will be the kingdom’s third leader in two years.
- Tycoon Oust’s long-dominant Shinawatra dynasty.
- Coalition supports Anutin on condition of early choices.
BANGKOK: Thai Tycoon Anutin Charviracul joined as prime minister on Sunday with the cannabis-mastering conservatives who ousted the nation’s dominant political dynasty and surrounding course for elections early next year.
Since the 2023 election, Thailand’s top office has been monopolized by Pheu Thai Party of the Shinatawatra dynasty-a populist strength that has long spared the pro-monarchy, pro-military establishment.
But Dynasty’s heir to Paetongtarn Shinawatra was laid off last month by court decision, and Anutin rushed to share his own coalition government – won a Friday parliament to close Pheu Thai out of Embed.
Anutin previously served as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Interior and Minister of Health -but is perhaps most famous for being the architect of Thailand’s 2022 -Cannabis criminalization.
The construction magnate will be the kingdom’s third leader in two years and will also serve as Minister of the Interior. But he has taken power with coalition support conditional on dissolving parliament within four months of holding fresh elections.
“Although we do not have much time, I hope to receive cooperation from everyone,” Anutin told journalists after joining.
“My government will work tirelessly,” he added. “We will dedicate ourselves to working because we only have four months.”
His period began officially after the royal approval of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, read aloud in a formal ceremony at Anutin’s Bhumjaithi Party’s headquarters in Bangkok.
“His Majesty The King has approved Mr. Anutin Charnviracul to be Prime Minister from now onwards,” said Secretary General of Parliament’s House of House of Parliament Arpath Sukhanunth and read the Royal Command.
Dynasty in decline
Anutin is also known for managing tourism-dependent Thailand’s Covid-19 response and causing a setback after accused Westerners of spreading the virus.
He was once an ally of Shinawatras – who has been a dominant strength in Thai politics since the turn of the century, but increasingly faltering after a series of legal and political setbacks.
Anutin gave up his coalition with their Pheu Thai Party this summer in apparent outrage over Paetongtarn’s behavior under a border with neighboring Cambodia.
On August 29, Thailand’s Constitutional Court found that behavior had violated minister ethics and fired her after only one year of power.
Thaksin Shinawatra, Dynasty Patriarch, flew out of the Kingdom of the Hours ahead of Parliament on Friday confirming Anutin – tied to Dubai, where he said he would visit friends and seek medical treatment.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court will be a decision in a case over Thaksin’s hospital stays after his return from exile in August 2023, a decision that could affect the validity of the former prime minister’s early release from the prison last year.
While his guilt is not the subject of the case, some analysts say the verdict could see him imprisoned.
Thaksin on social media promised to return from Dubai to participate in the court date “Personal”.
“Me and my colleagues have been subjected to legal bullying, but the past is now behind us,” Anutin said Sunday.
“My government will comply with the law and will not interfere in the justice system and let the law take its way.”
