 "Thailand likely to hold general election on March 29")
Thailand is expected to hold its national election on March 29, according to a senior government official who said Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has been in discussions with the Election Commission to finalize the timeline.
Paradorn Prissananantakul, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, confirmed that both sides have agreed on a likely schedule for the polls. “The government and the Election Commission discussed the timeframe for holding the election. The most likely date is March 29,” Paradorn told reporters on Friday.
Prime Minister Anutin has stated earlier that he plans to dissolve parliament by the end of January, paving the way for a general election by March or early April. The Election Commission has not yet made an official announcement, but its chairman, Ittiporn Boonpracong, said preparations are underway for both the election and two nationwide referendums expected to be conducted on the same day.
One of the referendums will ask voters to approve a new constitution, while the other will determine whether Thailand should revoke two border agreements with Cambodia. According to Ittiporn, the combined budget for the election and referendums will be approximately 9 billion baht, or about 275 million dollars, and around 53 million citizens will be eligible to cast their votes.
Anutin came to power in September after winning a parliamentary vote to become Thailand’s third prime minister since August 2023. His rise followed his party’s withdrawal from the Pheu Thai-led coalition government. The Bhumjaithai Party leader secured support from the opposition People’s Party, which agreed to back him in exchange for two commitments — calling a national election within four months of taking office and holding a constitutional referendum.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIf the proposed timeline holds, Thailand will soon enter another election season as the government seeks to restore political stability after years of frequent leadership changes.
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