Constitutional Deadlock Blamed as PM Dissolves Thai Parliament Early
Bhumjaithai Party defends PM’s decision, claiming it was necessary to save constitutional reform; economic stimulus put on hold
- Thailand's Prime Minister has dissolved Parliament, triggering an early election, citing a deadlock over constitutional reform as the primary reason.
- The PM's party stated the move was a tactical necessity to save the reform package after the Senate threatened to vote it down.
- The dissolution has forced the caretaker government to scrap a planned economic stimulus package due to legal restrictions on its authority.
- Despite the political upheaval, the caretaker government will retain its full powers regarding national security and disaster response until a new administration is formed.
Bhumjaithai Party defends PM’s decision, claiming it was necessary to save constitutional reform; economic stimulus put on hold.
The Bhumjaithai Party has strongly defended Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s decision to dissolve the House of Representatives, claiming the snap election was necessary to break a deep constitutional reform deadlock and not an act of "betrayal" against coalition partners.
The explanation came from Paradorn Prissananantakul, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office and a Bhumjaithai Member of Parliament, who addressed suspicions that the sudden move was designed to undermine the coalition's reform agenda or the Prachachon Party.
Tactical Move to Save Reform
Speaking at Government House on 12 December 2025, Paradorn clarified that the party's critical vote on Section 256/28 of the constitutional amendment on December 11 was tactical.
He stated the party was compelled to vote with the Senate to ensure the reform package had any chance of passing the final reading.
The crisis arose when the Senate threatened to withhold the constitutionally mandated 67 votes needed for final approval if they lost the preceding readings.
"Our party's decision was not driven by differing content, but we looked at the 'end goal,'" Paradorn stated. "If we had proceeded with that content, the constitutional amendment would not have succeeded as promised. We therefore had to vote in line with the Senate’s reservation of opinion to preserve the path toward the final reading."
He reiterated that the Bhumjaithai Party was the most committed to pushing constitutional amendments and maintained they had fully complied with the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the People's Party.
Caretaker Government Retains Security Powers
Addressing concerns that the dissolution came at an irresponsible time amid ongoing Thai-Cambodian border clashes, Paradorn assured the public that the caretaker government remains fully functional in matters of security and disaster response.
He confirmed that missions concerning the border situation, war threats, or other emergencies will proceed under the existing mandate and authority until a new administration is formed.
Economic Stimulus Scrapped
While the security mandate remains, the transition to an interim administration has immediately resulted in the scrapping of the next phase of a key economic package.
Paradorn confirmed that the planned "Kon La Kreung Phase 2" co-payment scheme must be put on hold.
Election laws place severe legal constraints on a caretaker government, prohibiting it from approving new economic stimulus measures of this nature.
The cancellation came despite Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Ekniti Nitithanprapas having prepared the proposal for the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 16 December.
