Thailand's New PM Set to Push Growth, Calm Border Crisis

Just days after taking power, Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signaled through his first Cabinet appointments an intention to repair a struggling economy and calm simmering border tensions with Cambodia.

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BANGKOK -

Mr. Anutin, who won a parliamentary vote on Sept. 5 with an overwhelming majority, has only four months in power before calling for an election, as per an agreement between him and the largest party in Parliament that backed his premiership bid.

A former interior minister with a reputation as a shrewd operator, Mr. Anutin on Sept. 6 named a veteran economist with deep government experience, Mr. Ekniti Nitithanprapas, to run the Finance Ministry and a well-respected former diplomat to lead the Foreign Ministry.

"It remains to be seen what the PM can do in such a short period of time," said Ms. Lavanya Venkateswaran, senior Asean economist at OCBC Bank.

"His role will likely be more geared towards setting the stage for the next election."

Mr. Anutin's administration may push short-term stimulus measures to boost spending and its own standing, three analysts said, including potentially repackaging projects lined up by the outgoing Pheu Thai government that failed to fire up growth.