(Feb 9): Since the turn of the century, election night has usually been great for pro-democracy reformers and miserable for Thailand’s royalists. Early results from Sunday’s vote show the ruling Bhumjaithai party is on track to secure 191 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives — nearly triple the last election in 2023. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s party used its incumbency advantage and a campaign defined by rising nationalism following a tense border conflict with Cambodia to surprise election pundits. King Maha Vajiralongkorn granted Anutin an audience on the eve of the vote — an event officially unrelated to the election but which caught attention because of the timing. Potential partners include populist Shinawatra-backed Pheu Thai, with 74 seats, and Klatham with 59, as well as several smaller parties.

Source: The Edge Markets February 08, 2026 22:40 UTC