Thailand’s parliament has approved Srettha Thavisin, a real estate developer, as its prime minister, even though his party did not win the most votes in the general election.
Srettha Thavisin of the Phue Thai Party was elected as the 30th Prime Minister of Thailand. (Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader of the Move Forward Party greeted his supporters after winning the general election in May 2023. (Photo by Varuth Pongsapipatt/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Move Forward’s leader, 37-year-old Pita Limjaroenrat, had run on a campaign of promoting democracy, removing the military’s influence on politics and revising the lèse-majesté law, which jails people for criticizing the monarchy.
Pita Limjaroenrat speaks to the media after the parliamentary vote for the premiership. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)
Despite winning the majority of votes, Pita still required the approval of the full National Assembly.
Pro-democracy protesters are marching and calling on the senators to respect the result of the May 14 general election. (Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
This includes members of the House of Representatives, who were elected in the vote, and the senate, which is comprised of unelected, military-appointed members.
Srettha Thavisin, the candidate nominated by the Phue Thai Party for the prime minister election on August 22, 2023. (Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Pita Limjaroenrat speaks inside the parliament chamber before the vote to decide the country’s next prime minister. (Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)
On Tuesday Aug. 22, three months after the election, the parliament approved Thavisin as the country’s new prime minister with 482 votes, surpassing the 374 votes he needed to secure a majority.
Pheu Thai Party’s prime ministerial candidate Srettha Thavisin greets the press during the election. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
Srettha entered politics just months ago as one of three prime minister candidates for Pheu Thai, the country’s largest opposition party, which was founded by former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a coup in 2004.
Self-exiled former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand on Tuesday, the same day that parliament held the general election. (Photo by Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty Images)
After the election results, Pheu Thai had initially agreed to form a coalition with Move Forward but dissolved the coalition after Pita’s suspension.
A Thai protester points a finger at the Thai military during an anti-coup protest. (Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)
Pheu Thai subsequently formed a new coalition with pro-military parties that support the 2014 junta, betraying a promise it had made to voters that it would keep the military out of politics.
Pro-democracy protesters are calling on the senators to respect the result of the general election to support Pita Limjaroenrat. (Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Thailand’s new Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin greets the media as he arrives at the Pheu Thai party’s headquarters. (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)
The same day Srettha was approved, Thaksin, who has been living in exile since 2004, returned to the country after 15 years.
Former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra arrived at Don Mueang International Airport on August 22, 2023. (Photo by Sirachai Arunrugstichai/Getty Images)
He was immediately arrested and put in prison to serve a eight-year sentence for three corruption and abuse-of-power cases.
Thaksin Shinawatra returned to Thailand after 15 years abroad. (Photo by Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Protests erupted after Pheu Thai announced that the Move Forward Party (MFP) would no longer be part of the eight-party coalition at Pheu Thai Party’s headquarters on August 2, 2023. (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)
There has been speculation that Thaksin had made a deal with influential monarchy supporters to help keep the military and conservative establishment in power in exchange for having his jail term reduced, according to the New York Times.
Thaksin Shinawatra, chief of the Thai Rak Party in Thailand filmed in 2000. (Photo by Thierry FALISE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
Although Srettha had previously promised to amend Thailand’s lèse majeste law, which jails people for criticizing the monarchy, he has now said the party is opposed to any changes to the law.
Thai pro-democracy protesters called for political reforms, including the suspension of Section 112 of the Thai penal code, which deals with Lese Majeste offenses. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
He ran on a campaign of fixing income inequality, promoting LGBTQ rights, including same-sex marriage and ending corruption, according to CNN.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra and Srettha Thavisin, Prime Ministerial candidates for Thailand’s Pheu Thai party, greeted supporters during an election rally on May 12, 2023, in Bangkok, Thailand. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)
Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn appointed former property mogul Srettha Thavisin as the country’s new prime minister on August 23. (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images)
