Who could be Thailand’s next prime minister?

BANGKOK - Thailand's Paetongtarn Shinawatra

has been dismissed as prime minister

, the fifth premier removed by the Constitutional Court in the space of 17 years. 

The following are the remaining candidates eligible to become prime minister having been nominated by their parties prior to the 2023 election: 

Anutin Charnvirakul

Former deputy prime minister and interior minister Anutin, 58, is leader of the Bhumjaithai Party that was the second-largest member in Paetongtarn's coalition before it

withdrew in June,

leaving the government with a razor-thin majority. 

Mr Anutin successfully delivered on a 2019 campaign promise to decriminalise and promote medical cannabis.

However, that led to a rise in recreational use and an explosion of cannabis shops nationwide, upsetting conservatives and leading to government plans to recriminalise non-medical marijuana.

He has famously worn a cannabis leaf pattern shirt, including while casting his ballot in the 2023 election.

As health minister during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Anutin oversaw vaccine procurement, lockdowns and treatment.

He has been credited with reopening of Thailand to foreign tourism, a key economic driver. At the onset of the pandemic, he dismissed the disease, calling it “just a flu”.

Chaikasem Nitisiri

Mr Chaikasem, 77, is a lawyer and former attorney-general with a long legal career in the bureaucracy before becoming justice minister in 2013, a post he held for less than a year until a coup.

He was one of three prime ministerial candidates for Pheu Thai in the 2019 and 2023 elections but has kept a low profile, having suffered a stroke on the campaign trail. 

In recent months, he has projected an image of vitality, posting photos on social media of himself golfing, and has appeared energetic before the media. He has said his health has significantly improved, and he is ready to serve if called on. 

Pirapan Salirathavibhaga

Mr Pirapan, 66, is leader of the conservative United Thai Nation (UTN) party and deputy prime minister and energy minister. His support for Ms Paetongtarn became crucial after Bhumjaithai's exit.

Under Mr Pirapan, the Energy Ministry pushed energy pricing transparency, reform of oil import regulation and reduced electricity prices to ease costs for the public.

The former justice minister was a seven-time lawmaker for the Democrat Party and later adviser to former military chief and prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. 

He founded the UTN party that

supported Mr Prayut

in the 2023 elections.

Mr Pirapan is under investigation for alleged corruption in the distribution of flood relief aid bags, which he denies.  

Prayut Chan-ocha

Staunch conservative and royalist Prayut, 71, led Thailand for nearly a decade after he ousted the last Pheu Thai party government in a 2014 coup as head of the army.

After seizing power, he released a ballad he wrote called Returning Happiness To Thailand that played frequently to shore up support. 

Mr Prayut was named prime minister in his own junta and was elected to the post by Parliament in 2019 after a multi-party election. Though he had strong backing from Thailand's conservative, royalist establishment, Mr Prayut struggled to gain popularity and faced massive months-long student protests calling for his ouster.

He survived through multiple court cases and parliamentary no-confidence motions against him. 

Nicknamed Uncle Tu, Mr Prayut retired from politics after the last election, but remains influential. In 2023, he was

appointed to the privy council of King Maha Vajiralongkorn

, a prestigious post, and would have to step down from the role to become prime minister.

He would be able to serve only two years as premier due to a constitutional limit.

Jurin Laksanawisit

Mr Jurin, 69, is a former leader of Democrat Party. He was commerce minister in a coalition government from 2019 to 2023 under Mr Prayut and health minister and education minister in a Democrat-led government a decade earlier. 

After a poor showing in the 2023 elections, he stepped down from party leadership.

The party had ties to the conservative establishment, but has lost support and relevance because of defections and the appeal of more progressive parties. The party was a long-time Pheu Thai rival, but joined the coalition in 2024.

As part of the party's old guard, Mr Jurin is unlikely to have support from his party for a premiership bid in a parliamentary vote. REUTERS