Anutin faces spectre of an early exit

A slew of problems and intensifying challenges may force Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to make an early exit, dissolving the House of Representatives sooner than the late-January timeline set out in the memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the People's Party (PP).

- Chairith Yonpiam

Just one and a half months after taking office, the Anutin government finds it has little choice but to consider dissolving the House ahead of the Jan 31 deadline. A myriad of problems rocking his administration have made it difficult — if not impossible — for him to stay in power for long, especially as the Pheu Thai Party threatens a no-confidence debate.

The government has faced fierce criticism over its failure to uproot online scam networks allegedly linked to the Hun family. Initially, the People’s Party appeared reluctant to challenge Mr Anutin, fearful that pushing too hard might derail the charter rewriting process.

As a result, PP lawmakers focused primarily on Capt Thamanat Prompow, deputy prime minister, agriculture minister and leader of the Klatham Party. They have repeatedly accused him of being linked to a major scam network boss in Cambodia.

The PP has also targeted Klatham’s alleged supporters, including media influencer Gun Jompalang and his foundation, as well as Chonnapat Naksua, an MP for Songkhla whose 159 million baht in assets were seized over alleged involvement in illegal online gambling.

The continued attacks have eroded the government’s image. The administration's failure to tackle online crimes has grown increasingly obvious.