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THAILAND is heading for snap elections after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Thursday announced the dissolution of parliament, declaring he was “returning power to the people” in a move that brings the electoral timetable forward by several months.
Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat told Reuters the decision stemmed from a breakdown in relations with the largest bloc in parliament, the opposition People’s Party.
The royal decree formally approving the dissolution was endorsed by King Maha Vajiralongkorn and published in the Royal Gazette on Friday, activating the constitutional requirement for elections to be held within 45 to 60 days.
The political upheaval unfolds amid a fourth consecutive day of heavy fighting along the Thai–Cambodian border, where at least 20 people have been killed and nearly 200 injured.
Anutin insisted on Wednesday that the dissolution would not disrupt military operations, noting that clashes had erupted at more than a dozen locations, including exchanges of heavy artillery.
“I am returning power to the people,” he said on social media late on Thursday.
Anutin, Thailand’s third prime minister since August 2023, has presided over a period of marked instability, with the economy—Southeast Asia’s second largest—struggling under the weight of US tariffs, high household debt and subdued consumer spending.
His decision accelerates a timeline he had previously outlined in September, when he said parliament would be dissolved by the end of January, with elections anticipated in March or early April.
Anutin’s ascent to office followed his Bhumjaithai Party’s withdrawal from a ruling coalition and its subsequent alignment with the People’s Party. That partnership came with conditions, including a demand for a referendum on constitutional reform.
According to Siripong, tensions escalated when the People’s Party felt its expectations were unmet and threatened to file a no-confidence motion while demanding an immediate dissolution of parliament.
Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the People’s Party, told reporters late on Thursday that Bhumjaithai had failed to uphold the terms of their agreement, adding: “We have tried to use the voice of the opposition to push forward amending the constitution.” - December 12, 2025