THAILAND’S Parliament was expected to elect a new prime minister on 5 September following a week of political chaos, as the dramatic exit of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra cast a long shadow over the proceedings.
Reuters reported on Friday that Thaksin, the billionaire powerbroker and central figure in Thailand’s two-decade political struggle, left the country on a private jet for Dubai late on 4 September, only days before a court verdict that could send him back to prison.
His abrupt departure further destabilised the Pheu Thai party, which has dominated Thai politics for much of the past 25 years.
The political vacuum follows the disqualification of Thaksin’s daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was removed as prime minister by a court ruling six days earlier for an ethics breach. Her dismissal triggered a fierce power scramble, with the Bhumjaithai party launching a bold move to claim leadership with the backing of the largest bloc in Parliament.
Bhumjaithai leader Anutin Charnvirakul emerged as the frontrunner after securing the support of 146 lawmakers and striking a deal with the opposition People’s Party, which pledged its 143 votes despite remaining outside the governing coalition. The combined support gives Anutin a clear path to the 247-vote threshold required to form a government.
“I'm quite confident that 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. Pheu Thai has completely closed the curtain.”
Pheu Thai, in a last-ditch effort to prevent Anutin’s ascension, announced it would nominate 77-year-old former attorney-general Chaikasem Nitisiri as its candidate for prime minister. The party promised a snap election if he is elected, but the move was widely seen as symbolic, with Chaikasem lacking both political capital and momentum.
Thaksin’s sudden exit only weakened Pheu Thai further. In a late-night post on X, he claimed to have travelled to Dubai for medical treatment and promised to return to Thailand by 8 September. He had spent most of the past 15 years in self-imposed exile in Dubai and London to avoid a jail term related to abuse of power and conflicts of interest during his 2001–2006 premiership.
Having returned briefly to serve his sentence, Thaksin’s eight-year jail term was reduced to one year following a royal pardon. He spent six months in a VIP hospital suite before being released on parole in February 2024. The Supreme Court is due to rule on 9 September whether his hospital stay qualifies as time served or if he must return to prison.
Thaksin’s private aircraft, registered T7GTS, departed Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport at 7.17pm local time. Flight tracking data showed it first headed towards Singapore, then over Malaysia, before circling above the Andaman Sea and continuing westward.
Paetongtarn was the sixth Shinawatra-linked prime minister to be removed by either the courts or the military, underscoring the enduring tensions between Thailand’s political elites. Pheu Thai, once an unstoppable political force, now finds itself increasingly cornered and isolated.
Anutin’s strategy of aligning with opposition forces and pledging new elections within four months appears to have outmanoeuvred Pheu Thai. The vote is expected to confirm his elevation to Thailand’s top political post, marking a turning point in the country’s long-running power saga. - Sept 5, 2025
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