Anutin Charnvirakul voted in by parliament after promising election in four months, as Thaksin Shinawatra jets out
Anutin Charnvirakul, a staunch royalist, has been selected as Thailand’s next prime minister, after securing the backing of the majority of lawmakers in parliament.
The 58-year-old tycoon turned politician is considered a conservative, though he made a name for himself for leading a campaign to decriminalise cannabis. He was voted in after a chaotic scramble by parties to gain enough support to replace the ousted PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was removed from office by a court ruling.
Friday’s vote is the latest setback for Thaksin Shinawatra, Paetongtarn’s billionaire father and another former leader, who suddenly left the country by private jet the night before the vote, prompting a frenzy of speculation. He is due to appear in court on Tuesday, when judges will rule whether he has adequately served his sentence for previous convictions.
Thaksin said he had travelled to see a doctor in Dubai, where he spent much of his time in exile, and that he would return in time to attend court.
