When news leaked in June of a phone call that would topple Thailand’s prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul quickly shifted gears to position himself for power. The seasoned politician exited the Pheu Thai-led coalition of Paetongtarn Shinawatra, reached out to the main opposition, and waited for the right moment. That moment came on Friday (Sept 5), when parliament decisively chose him as Thailand’s next prime minister — a week after the court dismissed Paetongtarn, sparking political upheaval.

Anutin’s path to the top has been decades in the making. He first entered politics through Thai Rak Thai, the party of Paetongtarn’s father, billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra. In recent years, his influence has grown largely through the Bhumjaithai party, a relatively new force with roots in farming communities of northeast Thailand.

Though often mentioned as a potential prime minister in the 2019 and 2023 elections, Anutin did not clinch the role then. Instead, he made his mark as health minister during the Covid-19 crisis and by spearheading cannabis legalisation in 2022. Confident about his future, he told Reuters in 2023: “I am younger, more fresh and I understand politics in a democratic system.”

Bhumjaithai secured only 70 out of 500 parliamentary seats in the last election, but its role in blocking the Move Forward party from power gave it leverage. It became a junior partner in a Pheu Thai-led government, which lasted two years. Analysts describe Anutin as a pragmatic dealmaker, bridging powerful family dynasties and the royalist-conservative establishment. He is also seen as a loyal royalist, aligning himself with the monarchy while positioning Bhumjaithai as a reliable defender of conservative interests.

Thailand’s politics have long been defined by clashes between the conservative establishment and populist parties tied to Thaksin, leading to coups and court rulings that have unseated six prime ministers in 25 years. Born into a wealthy political family, Anutin was educated in Bangkok and the US before running his father’s construction company, Sino-Thai. He entered politics in 2004 as deputy health minister under Thaksin. After a court dissolved Thai Rak Thai in 2007 and banned him for five years, he reemerged in 2012 as leader of Bhumjaithai. Since then, his party has played a role in nearly every government, controlling key ministries that boosted its grassroots support.

Most recently, Anutin served as interior minister in two Pheu Thai administrations. His climb to the premiership was aided by the People’s Party, successor to Move Forward, which offered outside support to stabilize his coalition. Beyond politics, Anutin collects Buddhist amulets and enjoys recreational flying, sometimes assisting with organ transport. Now at the helm of a country facing a faltering economy, border tensions with Cambodia, and lingering political instability, his ability to navigate turbulence will be put to the test.