BANGKOK: Thailand faced a realignment of conservative politics, with coalition talks expected to start soon after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's party clinched a stronger-than-expected general election victory. With 94% of votes counted, the ruling Bhumjaithai was way ahead of its rivals after Sunday's vote, securing 193 of the 500 seats in parliament.
"We need a strong government," Anutin said in a news broadcast, adding that he wanted to form an administration with a strong majority but was waiting for the final results. The result drove stocks up 4% in Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, to their highest level in over a year.
The left-leaning People's Party, which led most opinion polls in the run-up to the vote, trailed with 118 seats, marking a setback for a party whose forerunner, Move Forward, won the 2023 election before it was blocked from forming a government. Anutin said the outcome was "a victory for all Thais". He called the election in December after less than 100 days in office, seeking to ride a wave of nationalism generated by Thailand's three-week conflict with Cambodia in December, enabling him to consolidate the conservative vote. — Reuters
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