[Thailand Election] Anutin Born into a Wealthy Family, His Down-to-Earth Image Resonates Deeply with the People

After Thailand's caretaker Prime Minister Anutin won the election on the 8th with a result far exceeding expectations, he sat casually on the floor of his party's headquarters meeting room, first joking with reporters before getting up to announce his victory.

According to Thailand Public Television statistics, as of midnight on the 9th Thai time (1 a.m. Malaysia time), the Bhumjaithai Party maintained a strong lead, securing 195 out of 500 lower house seats, while the People's Party secured 114 seats.

AFP reported that Anutin comes from a prominent family of construction magnates and is also an amateur jet pilot, but he is known as a pioneer in promoting the legalization of cannabis in Thailand and has shaped himself as a friend of the people.

Anutin is especially fond of street food, and often shares photos on social media of himself wearing a T-shirt and shorts, holding a wok and cooking dishes, or performing 1980s Thai pop songs on the saxophone and piano.

This approachable style is highly favored by Thai voters. In their eyes, he is not only efficient but, more importantly, displays independent and self-reliant character, unlike some other scions of the elite who are seen as being manipulated.

At the same time, Anutin is regarded as a supporter of Thailand's traditional social order, a position that resonates with many in an otherwise largely conservative Thai society.

This 59-year-old politician’s election victory was partly fueled by a wave of patriotism. This wave originated from last year's border conflict with Cambodia, during which dozens were killed on both sides and over a million people were displaced.

Upon announcing his election victory, he publicly stated: "Nationalism is the soul of the Bhumjaithai Party."

He took office as Prime Minister last September. Previously, his predecessor and former coalition partner Paetongtarn was forced to step down due to a court ruling. Paetongtarn is the daughter of former leader Thaksin, who is currently in custody.

In a leaked phone recording, Paetongtarn referred to Cambodia's former leader Hun Sen as 'uncle,' and called a Thai military commander an 'opponent,' triggering widespread backlash. Anutin immediately withdrew from the coalition with the Shinawatra family’s 'Pheu Thai Party.'

Not long after taking office, Anutin authorized the armed forces to take any action they deemed appropriate at the border without needing prior approval from the government.

Before the current ceasefire agreement took effect, the Thai military had already regained control of parts of the disputed area in the latest round of fighting in December last year.

"No one wants to fight, no one wants conflict," he told an AFP reporter during the campaign while eating noodles with party members in Bangkok's Chinatown.

Family Construction Company is Highly Influential

Anutin's family's core wealth centers on Sino-Thai Engineering. For decades, this construction giant has won numerous lucrative government contracts, including Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and the parliamentary complex.

Anutin's father served as acting Prime Minister during the 2008 political crisis and later as Minister of the Interior for three years.

Anutin's ups and downs in the political arena have been entangled with the Shinawatra family for a long time; the two sides have been both allies and rivals.

Anutin once studied in New York, USA, and is an engineer. He joined Thaksin’s “Thai Rak Thai” party in his early 30s. When the party was dissolved in 2007, he was banned from participating in politics for 5 years.

During his forced hiatus from politics, he learned to fly planes and set up a small private fleet dedicated to transporting donated organs to hospitals for transplant operations.

After returning to politics, Anutin took on the role of leader of the Bhumjaithai Party. The party, seen as a 'political chameleon,' has joined several governing coalitions. He has served as a deputy under three former prime ministers, including Paetongtarn.

Previously, he was the health minister in the military-led government, handling the COVID-19 pandemic in a country highly dependent on tourism. In 2022, he fulfilled his campaign promise to legalize cannabis, aiming to revitalize the economy, which at the time attracted international attention.

Just three months after taking office as Prime Minister, Anutin announced the dissolution of parliament and called for general elections—a political gamble that ultimately brought significant rewards.