BANGKOK: Thai voters will head to the polls on Sunday after cycling through three prime ministers in less than three years, with the three-way contest of major parties set to decide the leader of the Southeast Asian nation over the next four years.
For the first time in the country’s history, nearly 53 million eligible voters in the kingdom of 71 million people will choose 500 lawmakers and also decide whether to rewrite the constitution.
The snap election was called in December by Anutin Charnvirakul, Thailand’s third premier since the 2023 election, who dissolved the House of Representatives to preempt a looming no-confidence vote.
More than 5,000 candidates from 57 parties are registered to take part in the polls, which will directly elect 400 lawmakers based on constituencies, while 100 others will be chosen from “party list” nominees, who gain seats according to each party’s proportional share of the vote.
Together, they will constitute the 500 members of the House of Representatives who will select the prime minister.
