The Other Old Guard

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Thailand this week certified the results of its first Senate race since the 2014 military coup, with conservative lawmakers emerging as the biggest group and overshadowing candidates linked to Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s ruling Pheu Thai Party, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

More than half of the 200 new senators have ties to the conservative Bhumjaithai party and its leader Anutin Charnivirakul, while only a dozen candidates are connected to Pheu Thai, according to political analysts.

The newly certified senators will replace the 250 military-appointed senators who have served since 2019. The election involved 46,000 applications from 20 civil and professional categories – but was not open to public voting. The process faced criticism for its lack of transparency, with more than 800 complaints pending investigation by the Election Commission, wrote the Associated Press.

Observers noted that Bhumjaithai’s dominance underscored a crucial victory for conservative factions, adding that it could influence future constitutional amendments and key appointments.

The new Senate – less dominated by the military but still conservative – will play a pivotal role in efforts to amend the military-backed constitution. These changes require support from at least a third of the upper house, a challenging threshold given past failures to secure sufficient Senate votes.

Though the Senate has lost its power to vote on the prime minister, it retains significant influence over the approval of legislation and constitutional amendments.

Analysts suggested the results could also alter the balance of power in the coalition government headed by Pheu Thai. With Prime Minister Srettha facing potential disqualification over an ethical violation, Anutin might become a leading contender for the premiership.