Anutin stays tight-lipped on coalition talks, urges restraint as recount protests grow

Coalition talks on hold pending confirmed results

Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul on Wednesday declined to discuss any formula for the next coalition government, saying he wanted to see clear, confirmed seat numbers before making decisions.

Speaking at Government House, Anutin neither confirmed nor denied reports that he could also serve as defence minister in a future Bhumjaithai-led cabinet. He said the Election Commission (EC) had not completed the count, with tallies at around 92–93%.

Asked whether his party would raise any special agenda at its meeting on Thursday, Anutin said the discussion would focus on the unofficial results, including reviewing mistakes to improve future campaigns.

Seat numbers still shifting, Anutin says

Asked whether he already had certain parties in mind for forming a bloc, Anutin said he wanted to first see confirmed figures for each party. Even Bhumjaithai’s own count had shifted, he said: on the evening of 8 February it initially appeared the party could win around 180 constituency seats, but the figure later fell to 173–174, leaving the situation unsettled.

Caretaker PM says government still must run the country

Asked if he already had a government-formation plan in mind, Anutin said he was trying to keep a clear head because, as caretaker prime minister, he still had to run the country.

He said he could not spend all his time focusing only on coalition arithmetic, noting that incidents in the southern border provinces were still occurring from time to time. He said security agencies and civilian authorities were cooperating well and urged the public to be confident that the government had not stopped working for the people during the election period.

“The next government must be better,” he says

Asked how many MPs would be needed for a stable government, Anutin said he would study the issue step by step, drawing on past experience and data to assess what helps government work run smoothly and what creates obstacles and risks. He said he still had time to consider the numbers until the EC announces the results.

Asked whether he was confident the next government would be as good as the current one, Anutin said it would have to be better. If the public believed the current government team was capable, he said, he could not allow the next administration to be worse—only to improve.

He said the support he had received meant he could not act carelessly or simply follow his own preferences, adding that those votes “weighed on his shoulders” and he had to respond to the public’s confidence and goodwill.

Recount protests spread; Anutin tells officials to avoid force

After unofficial tallies emerged late Sunday night, groups of young supporters of the first runner-up People’s Party staged protests in Chon Buri Constituency 1 and other provinces, demanding recounts over alleged irregularities and a lack of transparency in vote counting.

While the People’s Party said it was not behind the protests, several prominent figures—including members and spiritual leaders linked to the dissolved Future Forward Party—publicly urged supporters to demonstrate for a nationwide recount through television appearances and social media posts.

Anutin said he had instructed provincial governors, district chiefs and police to maintain law and order, while being lenient and facilitating peaceful demonstrations.

“I told officials that they should focus on ensuring understanding, and that everything must be handled gently and with respect for the public, as it is the people’s right to come out and make demands within the framework of the law,” he said.

He added that whether a recount could be conducted would depend on the EC and the regulations it issues.