House secretary-general Arpath Sukhanant brought the royal command to the party’s headquarters in Bangkok at 11:33am. Then the secretary-general announced the royal command, which referred to the removal of Paetongtarn Shinawatra as prime minister and the House’s majority vote to support Anutin as the new prime minister, reports the Bangkok Post.
The appointment of Anutin as the 32nd prime minister of Thailand took immediate effect. The royal command was countersigned by House Speaker Wanmuhamadnoor Matha.
Anutin then ceremonially accepted the royal command and said it was a limitless blessing and honour for him and his family.
He promised to perform as prime minister to the best of his ability, with honesty and righteousness for the benefit of Thai people and the stability of Thailand.
Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party withdrew from the coalition government of Ms Paetongtarn after her leaked phone conversation with Cambodian strongman Hun Sen. It joined the opposition led by the People’s Party.
On Friday last week, Anutin received support from his potential coalition partners and factions and the 2023 election-winning People’s Party in the House vote for his premiership.
The People’s Party threw its support to Anutin on the condition that he would dissolve the House in four months after announcing his policy platform in parliament and pave the way for a new charter, among several conditions.
The People’s Party, which led the opposition, did not join Anutin’s coalition government.
Key priorities
Following the royal command for his appointment as the new prime minister Anutin promised to dissolve the House in four months and have capable ministers for efficient work within the limited tenure.
“I will dissolve the House within four months as agreed. My Cabinet ministers and I will work without a holiday. There will be no time for relaxation with families,” Anutin said.
Given the short lifespan of his administration, he stressed he would carefully select Cabinet members, as there would be no time for a probation period.
He also emphasised that his government was not formed through political favours.
“My premiership does not exist because of any favour from anyone. I am in this position through the mandate of the people, expressed by their representatives. I am here to return that favour to the people,” the newly appointed prime minister said.
Anutin outlined four key priorities for his government: the economy, conflict with Cambodia, natural disasters, and social problems.
On the economy, he pledged to cut household expenses, reduce living, energy and transport costs, tackle debt, and raise incomes for individuals, businesses, and communities.
On border security, he vowed to pursue peaceful solutions with Cambodia to minimise losses on both sides, but stressed Thailand would not concede “a single square centimetre” of its territory. He also promised swift compensation for Thai families in border provinces affected by clashes.
On natural disasters, he said his government would advance warning systems and strengthen compensation and rehabilitation schemes, building on projects he initiated as interior minister.
On social threats, he promised to confront narcotics, human trafficking, scams, and both physical and online gambling.
Finally, he affirmed that his government would not interfere in the justice system. He apparently referred to the legal proceedings which were already underway in the Khao Kradong land dispute and the allegedly rigged Senate election, where some observers suspect links to members of his Bhumjaithai Party.