Thai conservatives clinch surprise victory, signaling a turn toward stability and royalist rule
With about 89% of votes tallied, Bhumjaithai—the conservative royalist party—won 194 seats in Thailand’s 500-seat House, edging out the reformist People’s Party and signaling a shift toward stability. Leader Anutin Charnvirakul’s bloc could control both chambers, aided by a senate favorable to his coalition. The result ends a wave of earlier reformist momentum and comes amid ongoing security concerns, including border tensions with Cambodia, which Anutin leveraged to push a tough-on-security platform. Analysts say voters prioritized continuity and governance over rapid reform.
