Thailand has dissolved parliament after nearly a week of fresh clashes along its border with Cambodia, with a general election to be called within 45 to 60 days.
In a royal decree published on Friday, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul cited the deadly border dispute among other challenges his minority government has struggled to contain since it took office three months ago.
The appropriate solution is to dissolve parliament… which is a way to return political power to the people, he said.
Anutin, a business tycoon, is Thailand's third prime minister since August 2023. When he took power in September, he stated he would dissolve parliament by the end of January.
However, now facing an imminent vote of no confidence, Anutin has brought the election forward.
Anutin and his Bhumjaithai party were heavily criticized for their handling of serious flooding in southern Thailand last month, which left at least 176 people dead.
The house's dissolution comes during renewed fighting with Cambodia, which has killed at least 20 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.
The government had executed every means in public administration to quickly resolve the urgent issues overwhelming the country… but running the country requires stability, Anutin wrote in the decree endorsed by Thailand's King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
The dissolution order follows the loss of support from the progressive People's Party, which had previously backed Anutin’s government.
The People's Party and the conservative Bhumjaithai party are ideologically opposed.
The People's Party plans to submit a no-confidence motion against the government and previously called on the prime minister to dissolve parliament to show responsibility towards the people.
See you at the polling stations, they stated on Facebook.
Thailand has been in political turmoil over the past year, with two prime ministers dismissed due to ethical violations.
