Conservative party head Anutin Charnvirakul becomes new prime minister of Thailand
Anutin gathers 311 votes in 493-seat parliament, defeating Chaikasem Nitisiri from his rival ruling Pheu Thai party
Anutin Charnvirakul of the conservative Bhumjaithai party was elected as the 32nd prime minister of Thailand by defeating his rival from the ruling Pheu Thai party, Chaikasem Nitisiri.
Anutin won with 311 votes in the 493-seat parliament, exceeding the threshold required to become the Southeast Asian country's prime minister, according to the Bangkok Post.
In the 2023 Thai general election, the Pheu Thai Party won 141 seats, making it the second-largest party, while the Move Forward Party won 151.
The prime ministerial election in parliament was announced earlier after the Constitutional Court removed Paetongtarn Shinawatra from office.
The court found she had violated ethical standards by criticizing a senior Thai commander during a phone call with Cambodian leader Hun Sen amid border tensions.
On Tuesday, Paetongtarn filed a lawsuit challenging the ruling.
The episode has exacerbated turbulence in Thailand's political system, which has seen frequent clashes between elected governments and the judiciary since former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's ouster in 2006.
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