Bangkok

Anutin Charnvirakul has secured his position as Thailand’s prime minister after winning a parliamentary vote held on Thursday.

The leader of the Bhumjaithai Party received 293 votes in the House of Representatives, comfortably crossing the majority mark among the 498 lawmakers present during the session.

Anutin is set to formally assume office after receiving royal endorsement from Maha Vajiralongkorn, with the formation of a new cabinet expected in the coming weeks.

In the February general election, the Bhumjaithai Party emerged as the largest group with 191 seats and later stitched together a coalition with several parties, including the Pheu Thai Party, to secure a governing majority. Meanwhile, the People's Party, which finished second, declined to join the coalition and fielded its leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut in what it described as a symbolic contest.

Anutin, 59, took over as prime minister in September after his predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was removed over an ethics violation linked to handling relations with Cambodia. He later dissolved Parliament and called early elections amid a looming no-confidence motion.

His popularity has risen in recent months, particularly due to his strong stance during tensions along the Thailand-Cambodia border, which boosted nationalist sentiment among voters.

However, the new government is expected to face immediate challenges, including rising global energy prices triggered by conflict in the Middle East and uncertainty over a pending Constitutional Court ruling on the validity of last month’s election.