PM Switches Parties In Effort To Retain Position Beyond 2023 Election

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha will not stand for election on the ticket of the governing military-backed Palang Pracharath party in the next general election likely to take place in May 2023. Instead he will stand as the PM candidate for the new Ruamthai Sarngchart (United Thai Nation) party. Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan, like Prayuth also a former military official, will stand as Palang Pracharath's PM candidate.

• The switch comes after a court ruling that Prayuth cannot serve as PM beyond 2025 due to laws restricting a PM to eight years in office (Prayuth came to power following a military coup in 2014). The court rules that his official term began in 2017, but this will still restrict him from serving a full term in office should he be in a position to become PM following the election.
• Amid high inflation and a stagnant economy, Prayuth already faced a difficult task in winning re-election. Polls show the opposition populist Pheu Thai party holding a sizeable lead over military-backed parties. PT's prime ministerial candidate is the 36-year old Paethongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former PM Thaksin Shinawatra.