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Thailand’s government faces first no-confidence vote in December

The vote will test Prime Minister Anutin’s support in parliament and could affect his cabinet.

Tuesday 3 November · 18:01 · 1 min read

In 30 seconds

Thailand’s government agreed to a four-day no-confidence debate from December 7 to 11, with a vote on the final day. [1]
The opposition’s motion targets Prime Minister Anutin and 17 other ministers from the governing Bhumjaithai Party. [1]
The government coalition holds 292 of 499 parliamentary seats, while the party has rejected the opposition’s accusations. [1]

What happened

Thailand’s government, led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, agreed to a no-confidence debate from December 7 to 11, with the vote scheduled for December 11. The opposition motion targets 18 ministers, including Anutin, and accuses the government of election-related fraud, corruption in local government recruitment, poor economic management and an inadequate response to recent floods. Bhumjaithai has rejected the accusations and says it is ready for the parliamentary process.

Why it matters

The vote will decide whether the government keeps parliament’s confidence. Cambodian readers can follow it as a major political test in neighbouring Thailand, but the report does not identify a direct effect on Cambodia.

Background

Under Thai law, the opposition may file a no-confidence motion once a year. Removing a prime minister or minister requires support from more than half of all members of parliament; the coalition has 292 of 499 seats.

Key terms

No-confidence vote: A parliamentary vote on whether the government or a minister should remain in office.
Coalition government: A government formed by two or more political parties working together.
Parliamentary seat: A place in parliament held by an elected representative.

Timeline