Thailand’s Political Risks Abate: Anutin’s Win Paves Way for Stability
Unexpectedly, Thailand royalist party (the Bhumjaithai) led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul won an estimated 193 seats, doubling the number of seats won last elections and making it the largest bloc of the 500-member parliament. In contrast, the People’s Party disappointed expectations by trailing in second place at 118 seats, performing worse than previous elections. Former Prime Minister Thaksin’s Pheu Thai party also underperformed, gaining only 74 seats. Overall, markets exhaled big signs of relief, with equities rallying 3.5% and the THB gaining 1.1% versus the USD on 9 February. Pr...