Thailand

House of Representatives

Political system: Parliamentary system
Structure of parliament: Bicameral
IPU membership: Yes

Election results

Data on parliamentary elections, including the background, candidates, voter turnout, results and the formation of the new legislature. By default the latest election results are displayed. Select a date to view results from previous elections.

Results

About the election: No party won a majority in the 500-member House of Representatives, the first legislature elected since the May 2014 coup (see note 1). The Pheu Thai Party (led by former Prime Minister Shinawatra Thaksin, who was ousted in the 2014 coup, see note 2) came first, followed by the pro-military Palang Pracharath Party (which supports the coup leader and interim Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha), and the Future Forward Party, an anti-junta party led by Mr. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit (see note 3).

Following the 2019 elections, the Pheu Thai Party, which endorsed Ms. Sudarat Keyuraphan as its premiership candidate, and the Future Forward Party, which pledged to change the 2017 Constitution drafted under the military regime, formed a seven-party alliance. Although the alliance initially claimed to have a majority in the House, it ultimately held 245 seats (see note 4). Meanwhile, the Palang Pracharath Party forged a 19-party alliance, including the third and fourth largest parties in the new legislature: the Democrat Party (led by former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva) and the Bhumjaithai Party, led by Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul.

On 24 May, the newly elected House of Representatives held its first session along with the new Senate (see note 5). Former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai (Democrat Party) was elected as the Speaker, defeating a candidate endorsed by the Pheu Thai Party. The House of Representatives suspended the membership of Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit.

In accordance with the transitional provisions in the 2017 Constitution, the new Prime Minister is elected jointly by the House of Representatives and the Senate for the first five years after the date of installation of the first National Assembly. On 6 June, the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate elected General Prayuth Chan-ocha as Prime Minister with 500 votes to 244 for Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit. On 11 June, King Maha Vajiralongkorn formally endorsed Mr. Prayuth Chan-ocha as a Prime Minister.

Note 1:

In May 2014, Army General Prayuth Chan-ocha announced that the military had taken control of the Government and dissolved parliament. It established the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). Under the NCPO’s roadmap, general elections were due to be held within one year, i.e., by May 2015. However, they have been successively postponed due in part to delay in adopting the new Constitution and election-related laws. On 23 January 2019, the Election Commission set elections to the House of Representatives for 23 March. During the transitional period, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), appointed by the former King in July 2014, assumed the legislative power. The term of the NLA expired one day before the convening of the new National Assembly on 24 May 2019.

Note 2:

Mr. Thaksin, who lives in self-imposed exile, has been sentenced to two years in prison in a separate corruption conviction from 2008. On 7 March 2019, the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of Thai Raksa Chart party, another party supporting the former Prime Minister, after it had nominated the King’s sister as its premiership candidate. On 23 April, the Supreme Court sentenced Mr. Thaksin in absentia to three years in prison for conflict of interest.

Note 3:

Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit has been charged with sedition for allegedly aiding anti-junta protesters in 2015, and for criticizing the junta on Facebook in 2018. On 23 April 2019, the Election Commission accused him of breaching the election law, for holding shares in a media company after registering his candidacy for the 2019 elections, which he denied. On 23 May, one day before the convening of the newly elected House of Representatives, the Constitutional Court suspended him from his parliamentary seat until it makes a final ruling on his ineligibility. If found guilty, he would be banned from running for election for one year. He could also face criminal charges for contesting the election knowing he was ineligible; a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a ban from politics for 20 years.

Note 4:

Out of 500 House seats, 150 are filled under the proportional representation system. Shortly after the election, the alliance announced that it had secured 255 seats. The Election Commission subsequently announced one seat would be allocated to every 30,000 votes instead of 71,000 votes; the threshold that it previously announced. The alliance criticized the new method which favours small parties, many of which are reportedly pro-military. The Election Commission stated the previous quota turned out to be untenable because it would have resulted in too few party-list seats. On 8 May, the Constitutional Court granted the Election Commission the authority to distribute seats under the new formula.

Note 5:

Section 272 stipulates of the 2017 Constitution stipulates “In the period of five years from the date of installation of the first National Assembly under this Constitution” a premiership candidate requires an approval of more than one-half of the total number of members in both Houses.

The statutory number of members of the Senate (which serves a five-year term) under the 2017 Constitution is 200. However, in accordance with Section 269 of the Constitution, the initial Senate comprises 250 members: 244 senators selected by the NCPO and 6 ex-officio members representing the military. The current Senate includes over 100 people with ranks in the military or police and 15 former ministers in Mr. Prayuth’s previous cabinet.

For the first five years, the Senate is empowered to jointly deliberate with the House of Representatives on any bills deemed to be related to national reform. It also has the power to effectively reject any bill on amnesty at joint meetings of the two Houses. Support from two-thirds of both Houses (or at least 500 parliamentarians) is required to pass an amnesty bill.
Number of parties winning seats: 26
Percentage of parties winning seats: 33.8%
Percentage of seats won by largest party or coalition: 27.2%
Number of parties in government: 6
Names of parties in government: Palang Pracharath Party, Democrat Party, Bhumjaithai Party, Chartthaipattana Party, Action Coalition for Thailand, Chart Pattana Party

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Parties or coalitions winning seats
Political group	Total	Majority	Proportional
Palang Pracharath Party	116	97	19
Pheu Thai Party	136	136	0
Future Forward Party	81	31	50
Democrat Party	53	33	20
Bhumjaithai Party	51	39	12
Thai Liberal Party	10	0	10
Chartthaipattana Party	10	6	4
New Economics Party	6	0	6
Prachachart Party	7	6	1
Puea Chat Party	5	0	5
Action Coalition for Thailand	5	1	4
Chart Pattana Party	3	1	2
Thai Local Power Party	3	0	3
Thai Forest Conservation Party	2	0	2
Thai People Power Party	1	0	1
Thai Nation Power Party	1	0	1
People Progressive Party	1	0	1
Thai Civilized Party	1	0	1
Palang Thai Rak Thai Party	1	0	1
Thai Teachers for People Party	1	0	1
Prachaniyom Party	1	0	1
Thai People Justice Party	1	0	1
People Reform Party	1	0	1
Thai Citizens Power Party	1	0	1
New Democracy Party	1	0	1
New Palangdharma Party	1	0	1

Members elected, by sex

Number of men elected: 421
Number of women elected: 79

Notes:
- At the moment of the first session, held on 24 May 2019, the House of Representatives comprised 498 members, including 76 women (51 elected under the majority system and 25 under the proportional representation system).

- A female candidate from the Future Forward Party won the last seat under the majority system in a repeated election held on 26 May, increasing the number of women to 77.

- Thereafter, the election commission re-calculated the distribution of seats under the proportional representation system. Instead of a male candidate from the Thairaktham Party, two women candidates (one each from the Palang Pracharath Party and the Democrat Party) were declared elected.

- As at 12 June, the House of Representatives comprised 79 women out of the full 500 members.

The Future Forward Party won 81 seats in the 2019 elections. On 20 November 2019, the Constitutional Court convicted Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and disqualified his MP status, lowering the number of MPs from 81 to 80. On 17 December, the Future Forward Party expelled 4 of its 80 members who had voted in support of the Government, leaving it with 76 members.

On 21 February 2020, the Constitutional Court dissolved the Future Forward Party and banned 16 party leaders (including 11 MPs) from politics for 10 years, leaving the party with 65 members in the House of Representatives. By-elections will be held for the 11 seats while the 65 other members must find a new political party within 60 days to keep their parliamentary seats. As at 27 February, there were 77 women out of 489 members.

On 8 March 2020, former members of the dissolved Future Forward Party announced they would join the Move Forward Party, which had not held any parliamentary seats and had changed its name from Ruampattanachartthai Party in view of accepting new members. In all, 54 of the 65 former Future Forward Party members joined the Move Forward Party and the other 11 joined parties in the ruling coalition: 9 joined the Bhumjaithai and 2 joined the Chartthaipattana.

As at 20 April, there were 77 women out of 489 members. The date for by-elections to fill the 11 vacant seats was yet to be set.
Percentage of women elected: 15.8%
Women Directly Elected: 79
Other notes on the elections: "Parties or coalitions winning seats" above take into account the repeated elections held on 26 May and the subsequent re-calculation of seats under the proportional representation system.

Note on the Date of dissolution of the outgoing legislature:

The date of dissolution of the previous House of Representatives elected in July 2011. New elections to the House of Representatives were held in February 2014 but in March 2014, the Constitutional Court nullified the results in accordance with the 2007 Constitution (Charter), which stipulates that election day must be the same throughout the Kingdom.
Sources: IPU Group (16.05.2019, 05.06.2019, 10.06.2019, 12.06.2019, 18.07.2019, 09.03.2020, 16.03.2020)

Office of the Election Commission of Thailand (02.12.2019)

https://www.ect.go.th/ect_en/

BBC Monitoring

Reuters

The Nation

Bangkok Post

The New York Times

Aljazeera

New legislature

Total number of men after the election: 421
Total number of women after the election: 79
Percentage of women after the election: 15.8%
First-term parliamentarians: 260
Percentage of first-term parliamentarians: 52.0%
Date of the first session: 24 May 2019

First Speaker of the new legislature

Personal details for the first Speaker of the new legislature: Chuan Leekpai (Male)
Date of birth: 1938
Political party: Democrat Party
Date of election: 25 May 2019

Updated at	Political system
2019-05	Parliamentary system
2005-01	Transitional system

Updated at	Structure of parliament
2019-05	Bicameral
-	Unicameral

Thailand

House of Representatives

Election results

Background

Candidates

Voter turnout

Results

Parties or coalitions winning seats

Members elected, by sex

New legislature

First Speaker of the new legislature

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for Political system

Historical data for Structure of parliament

Historical data for IPU membership

Historical data for IPU membership
Updated at	IPU membership
1973-01	Yes
1972-01	No
1950-01	Yes