BANGKOK, Thailand – Thailand’s conservative Bhumjaithai Party has taken a commanding lead in the general election, outperforming all major polls with 193 projected seats, according to unofficial results from the Election Commission on Monday.
With 94% of the ballots counted as of 8:53 a.m., Bhumjaithai is poised to become the largest party in the 500-member House of Representatives, securing 174 constituency seats and 19 party-list seats.
The progressive People’s Party sits in second place with 118 seats, failing to meet earlier expectations despite a clean sweep of all 33 constituencies in the capital, Bangkok. The party secured 87 constituency seats and the highest number of party-list seats at 31.
Pheu Thai, a party long linked to the Shinawatra family, took third place with 74 seats, a figure lower than its previous election results.
Despite fielding academic Yodchanan Wongsawat as its prime ministerial candidate, the party secured only 58 constituency and 16 party-list seats.
The newly formed Kla Tham Party emerged as a dark horse, securing 58 total seats. While it won only two party-list seats, its strong performance in constituencies makes it a likely key contender for the incoming ruling coalition.
Meanwhile, the veteran Democrat Party, led by former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, saw its party-list seats rise to 12—up from three in the 2023 election—but finished with only 22 seats overall due to poor constituency results.
The Election Commission has up to 60 days to officially certify the results. (TNA)
