Thailand sets general election for 8 February 2026 amid political realignment

Thailand's Election Commission (EC) has confirmed that the country will hold its next general election on 8 February 2026, following the dissolution of the House of Representatives by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

In a statement released on 15 December 2025, the EC announced polling day for electing Members of the House of Representatives (MPs), with advance voting scheduled for 1 February. The move marks an earlier-than-anticipated return to the polls amid heightened political tensions and regional instability.

The EC had tasked its Office with preparing the election plan immediately after the House dissolution on 12 December. The approved plan includes both administrative timelines and voter registration periods to ensure electoral readiness.

Advance voting, including within-constituency, out-of-constituency, and special voting for persons with disabilities and elderly voters, will take place on Sunday, 1 February 2026.

The EC also detailed candidate registration dates. Applications for constituency MP candidates will be accepted from 27 to 31 December 2025, while party-list MP candidates and parties’ prime ministerial nominee submissions must be filed between 28 and 31 December at the Centara Life Government Complex Hotel and Convention Centre in Bangkok.

Eligible voters wishing to cast their ballots in advance or from abroad must register between 20 December 2025 and 5 January 2026. Additionally, those unable to vote will have the opportunity to notify authorities from 1 to 7 February, and again from 9 to 15 February.

The EC will submit the plan to the caretaker cabinet, which is expected to issue a royal decree formally setting the election date.

The upcoming election follows a political rupture within the ruling coalition. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament after a breakdown in relations with the opposition People's Party, the largest bloc in the legislature.

The rift plunged Thailand into a renewed phase of political uncertainty, compounded by a simmering border conflict with Cambodia. Nationalist sentiment has surged in response, potentially benefitting Anutin’s leadership bid.

Thailand's electoral system will see 500 MPs elected—400 from constituencies and 100 through proportional representation via party lists. Each political party may nominate up to three candidates for the prime ministerial role.

The EC confirmed that official election results will be declared by 9 April 2026. The new parliament must then convene within 15 days to elect the House Speaker and, subsequently, the Prime Minister.

Anutin, 59, assumed the premiership in September 2025, becoming Thailand’s third prime minister since August 2023. His initial support from the People's Party was conditional on constitutional reforms and a commitment to dissolve the House before the end of January 2026.

That alliance has now collapsed. Despite Anutin’s calculated political manoeuvring and experience as a coalition builder, public opinion surveys consistently show the People's Party as the frontrunner. Formerly known as the Move Forward Party, it secured the highest number of seats in the 2023 general election.

As campaigning intensifies, the election is expected to shape Thailand’s political direction amid rising geopolitical tensions and domestic reform pressures.