Thai parliament to vote on new PM, as Thaksin jets off amid chaos

September 5, 2025 11:17 AM

Thai parliament to vote on new PM, as Thaksin jets off amid chaos

Thailand’s parliament is set to choose a new prime minister on Friday, after days of political chaos, in a vote that could be overshadowed by the dramatic departure from the country of its most powerful politician Thaksin Shinawatra. Polarising billionaire Thaksin, the central figure in a tumultuous two-decade battle for power in Thailand, left on his private jet for Dubai late on Thursday, with his family’s ruling party Pheu Thai in disarray. Thaksin’s flight out of Thailand came only d...

Thailand’s ruling party to field candidate in PM vote, vows election soon after

September 4, 2025 12:58 PM

Thailand’s ruling party to field candidate in PM vote, vows election soon after

Thailand’s ruling Pheu Thai Party on Thursday said it would nominate its candidate ahead of a parliamentary vote for a new prime minister this week, a late move that could complicate a bid by the rival Bhumjaithai Party and its pact with the opposition. Pheu Thai, which has been struggling to court support since suffering the loss of its prime minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to a court ruling last week, said it would nominate Chaikasem Nitisiri, a veteran lawyer with limited cabinet exp...