Thai parliament to vote on new PM, as Thaksin jets off amid chaos

5/9/2025 16:04

Thailand's parliament convened to choose a new prime minister on Friday after days of political chaos, in a vote that could be overshadowed by the dramatic departure from the country of its most powerful politician, Thaksin Shinawatra.



Polarising billionaire Thaksin, the central figure in a tumultuous two-decade battle for power in Thailand, left on his private jet for Dubai late on Thursday, with his family's ruling party Pheu Thai in disarray.



Thaksin's flight out of Thailand came just days before a court ruling scheduled for next week that could see him jailed.



The departure of Thaksin, the driving force behind Pheu Thai, came six days after a court sacked his daughter and protege, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as prime minister for an ethics violation, triggering a scramble for power and a bold offensive by a renegade party to form its own government.



Pheu Thai, the populist political juggernaut that won five of the past six elections, has fought desperately to thwart the challenge of former alliance partner Bhumjaithai, which has won the backing of the biggest force in parliament with a pledge to call a new election within four months.