BANGKOK — Thailand’s 32nd Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, is about to turn 59 on September 13. During his tenure leading a minority government, he has assured People’s Party members who voted to support him that he will serve no more than 4 months before dissolving parliament.
Several political scholars and commentators believe he won’t remain Prime Minister for just this brief period. He may well continue leading the country if elections are held at a time favorable to his Bhumjaithai Party.
Known by his nickname “Noo” (Mouse) or “Sia Noo” (Boss Mouse), Anutin leads the Bhumjaithai Party, which uses the slogan “Do as we say” and strongly advocates for protecting the monarchy. The party has adopted blue as its signature color, with the influential Chidchob clan from Buriram Province forming the party’s backbone.
Cannabis Champion and COVID Crisis
Before entering electoral politics, he served in General Prayuth Chan-ocha’s government, which many viewed as a continuation of military rule. As Health Minister, he championed liberal cannabis policies and successfully removed cannabis from the narcotics list—a move that sparked widespread social controversy.
He also faced significant challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing widespread criticism for his “COVID is just a cold” rhetoric, which was seen as severely underestimating the disease’s severity. He also had to deal with delayed vaccine procurement and distribution, leading to tens of thousands of daily infections and hundreds of deaths for consecutive days.
The Powerful Third-Largest Party
In the 2023 election, Bhumjaithai became the third-largest party. Anutin led his party into a coalition with the second-place Pheu Thai Party after opposing the first-place Move Forward Party (now known as People’s Party), which advocated amending the lese-majeste law (Article 112). Anutin held the crucial Interior Ministry portfolio under both PM Srettha and PM Paetongtarn.
Despite being only the third-largest party, Bhumjaithai’s bargaining power increased significantly when many of their allies or supporters were selected for the new Senate—approximately 136-147 out of 200 seats. This group became known as the “Blue Senators” amid allegations of corruption in the selection process.
First Cracks: The Scammer Crackdown
Cracks between Pheu Thai and Bhumjaithai first appeared over anti-scammer operations in neighboring countries. After the Srettha cabinet decided on May 14, 2024, to have the Interior Ministry consider cutting electricity to suspected scammer locations, implementation dragged on until the Paetongtarn administration finally acted on February 5, 2025.
The rift deepened when the Pheu Thai government allowed the Department of Special Investigation to probe the Senate corruption case and announced that the State Railway of Thailand would file charges against those occupying Khao Kradong land in Buriram Province, which the Supreme Court had ruled belonged to the state.
Pheu Thai then signaled its intention to reshuffle the cabinet and take control of the Interior Ministry. Anutin refused and announced his party’s withdrawal from the coalition, coinciding with Hun Sen’s release of audio recordings of conversations with PM Paetongtarn on June 8. This led to 36 senators petitioning the Constitutional Court to remove Paetongtarn from office.
A Deal Between Blue and Orange
Before the court announced Paetongtarn’s removal on August 29, news emerged of a deal between Blue and Orange or Bhumjaithai and the People’s Party to support Anutin as Prime Minister. Despite Pheu Thai’s attempts to fight back by requesting parliament’s dissolution and offering to elect Chaikasem Nitisiri as their final candidate before dissolving parliament, they couldn’t break the deal.
Anutin secured support from the People’s Party under an agreement to dissolve parliament within 4 months and proceed with constitutional amendments. In the parliamentary vote, he received 311 supporting votes against Chaikasem Nitisiri of Pheu Thai’s 152, with 27 abstentions, officially making him Thailand’s 32nd Prime Minister on September 5, 2025.
Personal Background
Born in Bangkok, Anutin is the eldest son of Chawarat Charnvirakul, former Interior Minister and founder of Sino-Thai Engineering & Construction Public Company Limited (STECON). He has two younger siblings: Masthawin Charnvirakul and Anilrat Nitisaroj.
For his education, Anutin graduated from Assumption College and earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Hofstra University in New York in 1989, followed by a Mini MBA from Thammasat University’s Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy in 1990.
Anutin first entered politics in 1996 as an advisor to the Foreign Minister, later serving as Deputy Health Minister and Deputy Commerce Minister under Thaksin Shinawatra’s government. However, he was banned from politics for 5 years after the Thai Rak Thai Party was dissolved following the 2006 coup.
After his political ban ended in 2012, Anutin joined Bhumjaithai Party and became its leader the same year.
In his personal life, he was first married to Sanongnuch Wattanawarangkul, with whom he has two children. After their divorce, he remarried Sasithorn Chantrasomboon but divorced in 2019. He later found new love and currently lives with Thananont Niramit, a female entrepreneur who owns a coffee shop in Ranong Province.
