Polls open in Thailand with three main parties vying for power

No single party is expected to secure a clear majority in Sunday’s vote, raising the spectre of political instability.Published On 8 Feb 2026Polls have opened in Thailand in a closely watched general election, with progressive reformers, military-backed conservatives and populist forces vying for control.Polling stations opened at 8am local time (01:00 GMT) on Sunday and are set to close at 5pm (10:00 GMT).Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Thai parliament elects Anutin Charnvirakul as prime ministerlist 2 of 4Thailand, Cambodia agree to build on ceasefire in talks in China’s Yunnanlist 3 of 4Another crane collapses in Thailand, killing two, after 32 die previous daylist 4 of 4Ancient Khmer temples scarred by Thailand-Cambodia conflictend of listMore than 2.2 million voters had already cast ballots during an early voting period that began on February 1, according to the Election Commission.The battle for support from Thailand’s 53 million registered voters comes against a backdrop of slow economic growth and heightened nationalist sentiment.While more than 50 parties are contesting the polls, only three – the People’s Party, Bhumjaithai, and Pheu Thai – have the nationwide organisation and popularity to gain a winning mandate.With 500 parliamentary seats at stake and surveys consistently showing no party likely to win an outright majority, coalition negotiations appear inevitable. A simple majority of elected lawmakers will select the next prime minister.The progressive People’s Party, led by Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, is favoured to win the most seats. But the party’s reformist platform, which includes promises to curb the influence of the military and the courts, as well as breaking up economic monopolies, remains unpalatable to its rivals, who may freeze it out by joining forces to form a government.The party is the successor to the Move Forward Party, which won the most seats in the House of Representatives in 2023, but was blocked from power by a military appointed Senate and later dissolved by the Constitutional Court over its call to reform Thailand’s strict royal insult laws.The Bhumjaithai, headed by caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, is seen as the main defender and preferred choice of the royalist-military establishment.