Thailand Election 2026: A take a look at the three key events contesting the polls | USAEMALL.com

BANGKOK: Thailand heads into a snap election on Sunday (Feb 8) after years of political churn and fragile coalitions. 

Voters will decide at the ballot boxes whether to reward the incumbent, revive a once-dominant political dynasty, or hand reformists another chance to govern. 

Three parties dominate the race: Bhumjaithai, led by incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul; Pheu Thai, the populist force built by former premier Thaksin Shinawatra; and the progressive People’s Party, reborn from the dissolved Move Forward Party. 

BHUMJAITHAI PARTY

The Bhumjaithai Party headed by Prime Minister Anutin is heading into a snap election after parliament was dissolved less than three months into its term – a high-stakes gamble aimed at securing a full four-year mandate. 

Anutin became Thailand’s 32nd prime minister in September last year – the country’s third leader to take office in just two years – after Bhumjaithai moved swiftly to form a minority government following the court-ordered removal of then premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra. 

By December, he had dissolved parliament, betting that incumbency, momentum and political realignment would work in his favour. 

Anutin’s rise reflects years of strategic manoeuvrings by Bhumjaithai, a party hailing from the northeastern province of Buriram. 

The party’s patriarch Newin Chidchob was once an ally of former Prime Minister Thaksin until a breakup with him in 2008 marked a turning point in Bhumjaithai’s ascent, turning it from a regional force into a national kingmaker. 

Anutin, known by the nickname “Noo” – Thai for mouse, has embodied the party’s ideological flexibility. He has served in multiple administrations, holding some of the most powerful portfolios in government. 

As public health minister, he oversaw Thailand’s decriminalisation of cannabis and led the country’s COVID-19 response. Later, as interior minister, he wielded significant influence over provincial and local appointments, steadily building political muscle.