Hopes for Pheu Thai PM fade as conservative parties eye power

Conservative parties in pole position as Pheu Thai struggles to form coalition govt

Almost three months after the May 14 general election, Pheu Thai officially formed a new alliance with Bhumjaithai on Monday (August 7), and announced they are open to more political parties joining to form Thailand’s next government.

The new coalition emerged just days after Pheu Thai’s political divorce from the Move Forward Party, which won the largest number of seats in the election but failed to secure majority support from Parliament for its prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat.

Together, Pheu Thai (141 MPs) and Bhumjaithai (71) have 212 MPs – still about 40 votes short of a majority in the 500-MP House of Representatives. But that is certainly insufficient as the new coalition needs at least another 164 votes from the Lower Houses and the 250-member Senate to ensure that their…