Thailand's cannabis crusader rolls into the PM, Anutin Charnvirakul Becomes Thai New PM

(BANGKOK) Anutin Charnvirakul, a long-standing figure in Thai politics, has finally achieved his ambition of becoming prime minister. His ascent began just hours after a leaked phone call in June spelled the end for then-Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. Seizing the opportunity, Anutin, the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, swiftly exited the ruling coalition and began making strategic moves. On Friday, a week after the court dismissed Paetongtarn, parliament voted overwhelmingly to elect the 58-year-old as the new premier.

Anutin's political journey started decades ago with the Thai Rak Thai party, founded by Paetongtarn's father, billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra. Over the years, his influence has grown, primarily through the Bhumjaithai Party, a relatively new force with roots in the lower northeastern farming communities.

While his name had been floated for the premiership in the 2019 and 2023 elections, Anutin's national prominence truly took off as health minister. He was praised for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his successful push to legalize cannabis in 2022.

Despite Bhumjaithai securing only 70 out of 500 seats in the last election, Anutin's political maneuvering has been key. He helped prevent the Move Forward Party from forming a government and then joined a coalition with Pheu Thai, serving as its junior partner for two years.

Analysts describe Anutin as a pragmatic politician, much like Thaksin Shinawatra. Napon Jatusripitak of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore noted that Anutin's Bhumjaithai Party has successfully become a bridge between the powerful family clans that dominate provincial politics and the royalist-conservative establishment. An avowed royalist, Anutin has positioned his party as "the most credible guardian of conservative interest in Thailand," according to Napon.

Anutin's background is deeply rooted in business and politics. The son of an influential politician-businessman, he earned an engineering degree in the U.S. before joining his father’s construction firm, Sino-Thai, in 1990. He entered government as a deputy health minister under Thaksin in 2004, setting him on the path to the nation's highest office. His rise is a testament to the complex and often contentious interplay between populist and conservative forces that has defined modern Thai politics.