The Feb. 8 general election will determine Thailand’s next prime minister from 93 submitted candidates. Anutin Charnvirakul leads as the caretaker premier and a skilled coalition broker, while progressive leaders Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut and Srikanya Tansakun represent Move Forward’s successor, the People’s Party. Pheu Thai‑linked Yodchanan Wongsawat brings a prominent political surname but limited government experience. Legal probes into former Move Forward lawmakers and complex coalition arithmetic are likely to shape the outcome.
Factbox: Who Are The Leading Contenders To Be Thailand’s Next Prime Minister?
Democrat Party leader and prime ministerial candidate Abhisit Vejjajiva greets supporters during an election campaign rally ahead of the February 8 general election, in Bangkok, Thailand, January 27, 2026. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
Thailand will hold a general election on Feb. 8 to choose the country’s next prime minister for a four-year term. Parties submitted 93 eligible names as potential premiers; several high-profile figures stand out and are likely to shape post‑election coalition bargaining.
Main Contenders
Anutin Charnvirakul
Anutin, 59, is the caretaker prime minister and leader of the Bhumjaithai Party. He secured the premiership in September after a court removed Paetongtarn Shinawatra and used rapid coalition-building to outmaneuver rivals. Known as a seasoned dealmaker, Anutin has cultivated relationships across party lines and held influential portfolios for his party, which captured key royalist‑aligned ministries. Although considered conservative, he led Thailand’s high‑profile campaign to decriminalise cannabis. His prospects depend as much on post‑election negotiations as on vote totals.
Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut
Natthaphong, 38, is a former software entrepreneur and a leader of the People’s Party, the successor to the dissolved Move Forward Party. He helped run Move Forward’s effective online campaign in 2023 and became Thailand’s youngest Leader of the Opposition after the court dissolution in August 2024. Natthaphong represents the progressive reformist camp but faces political and legal hurdles that could affect his eligibility.
Yodchanan Wongsawat
Yodchanan, 46, is a biomedical engineering professor at Mahidol University and the son of former prime minister Somchai Wongsawat. He is a member of the Shinawatra family network that founded Pheu Thai. Politically inexperienced at the national level, his candidacy carries the weight and risks of the family’s polarising legacy following multiple past ousters and court rulings against family members.
Sihasak Phuangketkeow
Sihasak, 67, is Thailand’s foreign minister and a career diplomat who has served as ambassador to Japan, France and the UN in Geneva. He is Bhumjaithai’s second nominee for prime minister as the party seeks to add technocratic credibility to its ticket.
Srikanya Tansakun
Srikanya, 44, is deputy leader of the People’s Party and previously served in the same role at Move Forward. Educated in Thailand and France, she was Move Forward’s finance minister‑designate in 2023 and is a prominent voice in the progressive camp.
Abhisit Vejjajiva
Abhisit, 61, served as prime minister from 2008 to 2011 and leads the Democrat Party. Media‑savvy and well known for his oratory, Abhisit and his party could still play a pivotal role in coalition talks, particularly if the election results produce a deadlock.
Veerayooth Kanchoochat
Veerayooth, 46, holds a doctorate from Cambridge, lectured in Japan and served as an economics adviser to Move Forward. He is listed as a backup candidate for the People’s Party in case leading figures are barred by legal rulings.
Legal Risks and Coalition Dynamics
Several former Move Forward lawmakers — 44 in total — are under investigation for ethics breaches tied to a 2021 attempt to amend Thailand’s law criminalising insults to the monarchy. If those cases reach the Supreme Court, implicated politicians could face lengthy bans, reshaping the post‑election bargaining landscape. Ultimately, Thailand’s next government is likely to be decided through coalition negotiations as much as by voters at the ballot box.
Compiled from Reuters reporting. Editing and consolidation for clarity and flow.
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