BANGKOK : Anutin secured 311 votes, comfortably surpassing the 247 needed, in a decisive victory over rival Chaikasem Nitisiri, who received 152 votes.
At 58, Anutin steps into the premiership after decades in politics, marking a new chapter in Thailand’s leadership. Nicknamed “Noo” (mouse), he is the son of businessman-politician Chavarat Charnvirakul, a former caretaker prime minister. Anutin also serves as heir to his family’s construction giant, Stecon Group, which notably built the parliament buildings in Bangkok.
His political journey began with Thai Rak Thai, the party of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He served briefly as deputy health minister and deputy commerce minister in 2004–2005 before a political ban sidelined him for five years after Thai Rak Thai was dissolved in 2007.
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Returning in 2012, Anutin assumed leadership of the Bhumjaithai Party, whose support base lies largely in northeast Thailand. The party secured 70 seats in the 2023 elections. He later rose to prominence as deputy prime minister and health minister, steering Thailand’s COVID-19 response.
Known as a staunch royalist and conservative, Anutin nonetheless surprised many by championing the legalization of cannabis, which fueled the growth of thousands of marijuana retailers nationwide.
