Overview
- With about 94–95% of votes counted, the Election Commission’s running tally shows Bhumjaithai on roughly 192–194 of 500 seats, ahead of the People’s Party on about 116–118 and Pheu Thai near 74, leaving Bhumjaithai short of a majority.
- People’s Party leader Natthaphong Rueangpanyawut said his party will not join an Anutin-led coalition and will not try to form a rival bloc, leaving smaller parties—and potentially Pheu Thai, according to observers—as likely partners for Bhumjaithai.
- Thai stocks jumped more than 3% to a one-year high after the result, with investors pricing in greater political stability as coalition negotiations begin.
- Voters also approved a referendum authorizing Parliament to start drafting a new constitution, a multi-stage process expected to take at least two years and require additional referendums.
- Analysts attribute Bhumjaithai’s surge to nationalist sentiment following recent Thai–Cambodian border clashes and to strong local patronage networks, while the reformist camp also faces fresh legal headwinds after the anti-corruption body referred 44 associated lawmakers to the Supreme Court; official certification is due within 60 days, followed by a parliamentary vote for prime minister.