Anutin signals early House dissolution after Bhumjaithai’s by-election win

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared on Monday that his Bhumjaithai Party is fully prepared to contest the next general election and that he may dissolve the House before the four-month deadline he had promised.

Anutin, the Bhumjaithai leader, hinted at a possible House dissolution before 31 January during an interview with reporters at Government House, following his party’s victory in the Kanchanaburi Constituency 4 by-election.

He said the win demonstrated that Bhumjaithai’s policies and performance had gained the confidence of the people in Kanchanaburi, expressing hope that his government’s work had also benefited citizens across the country.

When asked whether he believed his party had become more popular among voters than the Pheu Thai Party—given Bhumjaithai’s recent victories in the Kanchanaburi by-election and the Si Sa Ket by-election in September—Anutin replied: “We have been trying to do our best as much as possible as the government.”

Asked again whether Bhumjaithai was now ready to contest the next election, Anutin said: “We have been ready since we withdrew from the Pheu Thai-led coalition in June. We must be ready, as 31 January is the deadline and anything can happen.”

When a reporter pressed him to clarify whether there were any factors that could prompt him to dissolve the House before 31 January, Anutin replied briefly: “Several issues.”

The prime minister then left Government House to attend a meeting of the Internal Security Operations Command, without answering a follow-up question about whether he would definitely dissolve the House before 31 January.

Anutin has pledged to the opposition People’s Party that he would dissolve the House no later than 31 January in exchange for votes from the party’s MPs to elect him as prime minister.