September 6, 2025 | 10:15 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Anutin Charnvirakul, confirmed by parliament on Friday, September 5, 2025, as Thailand’s new prime minister, is known as a cautious, pragmatic politician with a knack for bridging the country’s deep political divides.
The 58-year-old Bhumjaithai Party leader is best recognized for spearheading Thailand’s landmark 2022 move to decriminalize marijuana.
Backed by his family’s wealth and a strong base in the rural northeast, Anutin has emerged as one of the country’s most influential power brokers.
A Balancing Act in Polarized Politics
Thailand’s political arena has long been split between supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and military-royalist factions. Anutin has managed to navigate between both camps.
He served in Thaksin’s cabinet from 2004 until the 2006 military coup. More than a decade later, he joined the rival camp of former army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha, serving as health minister in 2019.
By 2023, he was back in government under Thaksin’s daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, as deputy prime minister and interior minister.
That alliance collapsed in June this year, after Paetongtarn’s controversial phone call with Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen about a simmering border dispute. When Hun Sen leaked the recording—revealing Paetongtarn’s informal tone and disparaging comments about a Thai general—it triggered public outrage.
Anutin withdrew his party from the coalition, leaving Paetongtarn with a fragile majority. Soon after, the Constitutional Court dismissed Paetongtarn for violating ministerial ethics, clearing the way for Anutin’s rise to the premiership.
The Power Broker
Analysts describe Bhumjaithai as a “true power broker” in Thai politics. In a 2024 article, scholars Napon Jatusripitak and Suthikarn Meechan noted that the party’s strength lies in its pragmatic approach: “lacking deep ideological commitments, aggressively recruiting MPs from other parties, and adapting alliances to suit the political moment.”
Born in Bangkok in 1966, Anutin is the son of Chavarat Charnvirakul, a politician and construction magnate. After studying engineering at Hofstra University in New York, he joined his family’s firm, Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction, which has overseen projects such as Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Anutin entered politics in 1996 as an advisor to the deputy foreign minister. He later joined Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai Party and rose to deputy minister before the 2006 coup dissolved the party. As a senior executive, he was handed a five-year political ban.
During his hiatus, he returned to the family business and indulged his passions: flying his private plane and exploring global cuisines.
“Dining has always been the greatest pleasure in my life,” he once said. “I love searching for delicious food, from street stalls to international fine dining.”
When his ban ended in 2012, Anutin assumed leadership of Bhumjaithai, which under Newin Chidchob had built a solid rural base in the northeast. The party’s fifth-place finish in the 2019 election brought it into the governing coalition, where Anutin became deputy prime minister and health minister.
Marijuana Legalization and Public Backlash
Anutin’s biggest policy achievement was the 2022 decriminalization of marijuana, touted for its medical, health, and economic potential. He projected billions in annual revenue and pledged to distribute one million cannabis plants to households.
But the policy quickly drew criticism. With few regulations in place, unlicensed dispensaries mushroomed, raising concerns over recreational use and child access. In recent years, efforts to tighten rules have faced political roadblocks, including opposition from coalition partners.
As health minister, Anutin also oversaw Thailand’s COVID-19 response. While the country fared comparatively better than many, he was criticized for delays in securing vaccines and controversial remarks, such as accusing Westerners of spreading the virus, for which he later apologized.
Controversies Ahead
Despite his rise, challenges loom. Anutin has faced scrutiny over alleged collusion in last year’s Senate elections, as well as his role in a land dispute involving property linked to his mentor, Newin Chidchob.
With a reputation for pragmatism and dealmaking, Anutin now steps into the premiership at a critical moment, tasked with stabilizing a fractured political system while defending a legacy that has often straddled success and controversy.
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