Thailand Faces Fresh Elections After Coalition Split Over Constitutional Reform
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has decided to dissolve Thailand’s parliament after his coalition fell apart over a constitutional reform dispute. The split came to a head during a heated debate in parliament this week, revealing how unstable the young government had become just three months after taking office.
The argument centered on a single clause — Section 256/28 — that defines how constitutional changes should be approved. A government committee wanted future amendments to pass with a simple majority, but when lawmakers voted, they restored a tougher rule requiring at least one-third of senators to agree. That shift deepened tensions between Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party and the opposition-aligned People’s Party, whose support had been keeping his minority government alive.
According to lawmakers in the chamber, a Bhumjaithai member warned that senators would reject any reform that weakened their role. In response, the People’s Party accused the prime minister of giving in to pressure from the military-appointed upper house and said it would soon file a no-confidence motion against his cabinet.
Knowing his government would likely lose that vote, Anutin chose to dissolve parliament instead. “I am returning power to the people,” he wrote on Facebook, suggesting he preferred a reset through elections rather than being forced out in parliament.
His decision now awaits endorsement from King Maha Vajiralongkorn. If approved, the constitution requires that new elections be held within 45 to 60 days. Officials have proposed March 29 as a tentative date, which means about 53 million Thai citizens could soon be heading back to the polls.
Anutin came to power in September 2025, becoming Thailand’s third prime minister since 2023. His rise was made possible by a temporary deal with the People’s Party, which demanded two things in return for its vote: a promise to dissolve parliament within four months and a national referendum on rewriting the constitution. The deal collapsed before either goal could be realized.
Now, as the country heads toward yet another election, the same question returns — whether Thailand’s political system can produce a government that lasts long enough to see real reform through.
