Thailand’s election shocks: The political giants who fell

The political dreams of numerous high-profile candidates were crushed on February 8, as the election proved no respecter of fame or reputation.

Among them were veteran politicians hoping to secure another term, as well as well-known personalities making their first foray into politics.

Analysts put their unexpected losses down to the unpredictable nature of this year’s electoral landscape, shifts in voter preferences, and vote-buying.

Big names suffering surprise defeats included Pheu Thai’s former leader and ex-public health minister Cholnan Srikaew, who lost his long-held seat in Nan province to Klatham Party underdog Prasit Notha.

Political veterans

Cholnan is a six-time MP who had represented the northern province since 2001, while Prasit was a local politician making his debut at the national level.

The Pheu Thai heavyweight came third in the vote, trailing 22,000 votes behind Prasit and 14,000 behind the People’s Party candidate, according to initial results released by the Election Commission.

Another prominent casualty was Pheu Thai’s Visarn Techateerawat, a nine-time MP and former deputy interior minister.

Visarn, a member of Chiang Rai’s most powerful political family, lost his decades-long hold on the northernmost province to Klatham’s Phithak Saengkham, a former provincial councillor, by about 8,600 votes.

Pheu Thai also suffered an embarrassing defeat in Sa Kaeo province, an area affected by last year’s border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia.

The previous ruling party’s former secretary general, Sorawong Thienthong – a four-time MP for the province and ex-tourism minister – was defeated by Klatham’s Surasak Chingnawan, who was elected a Sa Kaeo MP in 2019. Surasak won with 36,075 votes, compared to 31,397 for Sorawong.

Chaiwut Thanakhamanusorn, a former Sing Buri MP who served as digital economy and society minister under General Prayut Chan-o-cha, failed in his bid to return to Parliament.

His newly founded Rak Chart Party fell short of the threshold to qualify for a party-list seat with just 63,812 votes. Chaiwut was Rak Chart’s No 1 list candidate.

Prominent candidates

While General Rangsee Kitiyanasap, leader of the Economic Party and former managing director of the Army-run Channel 5, failed to win a seat, his rebranded party secured just over 1 million votes in the list system – enough to gain three MPs.

The seats will be awarded to the party’s top three list candidates, including Chris Potranandana, the 37-year-old chairman.

Rangsee, a retired Army general, ran as the party’s No 10 candidate – a strategy he said was intended to encourage supporters to rally behind the party if they wished to see him elected.

Mongkolkit Suksintharanon, who made headlines with his quirky policy pledges as secretary general of the New Alternative Party, failed to make the cut as its No 3 list candidate. No 1 candidate Rachen Trakunwiang, who is the party leader, will become its only representative in Parliament.

Mongkolkit made campaign headlines for introducing a string of unusual policy promises, including allowing women up to four husbands, sending a Thai spacecraft to Mars and Venus within the next 12 years, and arming the country with at least 10 nuclear warheads “to boost national security”.

The progressive People’s Party saw its popular candidate, Dr Supat Hasuwannakit, lose to Democrat Party deputy leader Jury Numkaew in the southern province of Songkhla.

Supat is a former director of Songkhla’s Sabayoi Hospital and ex-president of the Rural Doctor Society. He came second in the election, earning 21,162 votes to Jury’s 30,686.

Jury rose to fame as “Auntie Jury” – a TikTok influencer who dresses up like an aunt while anchoring news broadcasts in the southern Thai dialect – before joining the Democrats last year.

Suchatvee Suwansawat, leader of the new political party Thai Kao Mai (“Thailand’s New Steps”), failed to make his debut as a list MP after his party missed out on Parliament with just 99,520 votes.

Suchatvee, former president of King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, joined the Democrats as a deputy leader in 2023 before leaving to form his own party last year.

Kannavee Suebsang, leader and top list candidate of the Movement Party, saw his re-election hopes crushed when the party did not receive enough votes to win a list-MP seat.

In 2023, he was elected as the sole MP for the Fair Party after it secured the bare minimum for a seat in Parliament.

Known as a strong advocate for human rights, Kannavee has worked in fields ranging from peacebuilding and security to refugee protection and humanitarian aid.