Bhumjaithai sweeps election with 194 seats in landslide victory

The Bhumjaithai party of incumbent Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul won a landslide with 194 parliamentary seats in the general election held yesterday, according to the latest unofficial tally.

With 92% of votes counted nationwide by 4.08am on Feb 9, the Election Commission released preliminary results showing Bhumjaithai far ahead of its rivals, positioning the party to form the next government.

Bhumjaithai secured a total of 194 seats, comprising 175 constituency seats and 19 party-list seats.

The People’s Party placed second with 116 seats, including 85 constituency seats and 31 party-list seats.

Although the People’s Party, which won the most seats in the previous general election, finished second overall this time, it completed a clean sweep of all 33 constituency seats in the capital. The party had won 32 of Bangkok’s seats in the 2023 election.

Pheu Thai finished third with 76 seats, marking the first time in years that the party has failed to reach the 100-seat mark. Its total consists of 60 constituency seats and 16 party-list seats.

The party was the core of the previous coalition government led by Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. She was removed from office by the Constitutional Court following the release of a controversial recording of her conversation with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen.

The Kla Tham Party captured 57 seats, including 55 constituency seats and two party-list seats, while the Democrat Party won 22 seats, made up of 10 constituency seats and 12 party-list seats.

Under former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the Democrats captured fewer constituency seats this time but boosted their party-list representation, having won only three such seats in the previous election under a different leader.