Thailand’s conservative Bhumjaithai Party won a much larger number of seats than expected over the reformist People’s Party in the general election, surprising many. Analysts believe this demonstrates that Bhumjaithai’s years of grassroots engagement have paid off. In the context of the Thai-Cambodian border conflict, dissolving parliament and holding elections further highlighted Bhumjaithai’s nationalist leanings and successfully attracted voter support.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Choi Montesano, Senior Fellow at Singapore’s ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, said in an interview that Bhumjaithai’s huge advantage in constituency seats shows the party has established a unique image among conservative voters and is now reaping the rewards.
He said: “Even before the outbreak of the Thai-Cambodian border conflict, Bhumjaithai had already positioned itself as a conservative party with a nationalist color. So, after the conflict broke out, they were in an excellent position to win support, and their results nationwide were favorable.
“Bhumjaithai’s recruitment of local influential party leaders was also a key to gaining an advantage.”
He noted that by contrast, the People’s Party still has yet to fully win over local communities, nor could it ignite voters’ enthusiasm or cause a sensation like their predecessor, Move Forward Party, did in 2023.
“Clearly, the People’s Party needs to find a way to perform better in provinces across Thailand to win more seats. They also need to look deeply at what went wrong in this campaign—strategy, candidate lists, or other factors—that led to results falling short of expectations.”
“Nationalism is the soul of Bhumjaithai”
On the night of the 8th, Anutin declared victory at party headquarters, calling it “a victory for the people” at a press conference. He said he would accept the people’s mandate, work for national stability and development, and address issues faced by Thai citizens.
In response to media questions, Anutin stated: “Nationalism is the soul of Bhumjaithai Party.”