Bhumjaithai Party’s win positive for China-Thailand ties

Thailand's caretaker Prime Minister and Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul has claimed victory in Thailand's general election on February 8, with preliminary vote counts putting his ruling conservatives well ahead of their rivals.

Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, arrives at the party's headquarters in Bangkok on Feb 6.

From the perspective of China, the Bhumjaithai Party's victory in the general election, with its leader Anutin Charnvirakul highly likely to be re-elected as Prime Minister, sends a positive and stable signal for the future of China-Thailand relations.

Anutin himself is of Chinese descent (with ancestral roots in Guangdong) and holds a natural affinity for Chinese culture. He has repeatedly emphasized the concept of "China-Thailand as one family" on public occasions. During his tenure as Prime Minister, high-level interactions between China and Thailand have been frequent, and bilateral relations have continued to strengthen.

For example, in November 2025, Anutin accompanied King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand on a state visit to China, during which the two sides reached multiple consensuses on expanding agricultural trade and deepening infrastructure cooperation.

China is one of Thailand's most important trade partners and sources of investment. It is expected that the new government will continue to advance the China-Thailand high-speed rail project (the Bangkok to Nong Khai section) and welcome Chinese investment in electric vehicles (EVs), semiconductors, and digital economy.

Thailand has long adhered to a flexible balancing in foreign affairs, and the Anutin government is no exception. While maintaining a friendly stance toward China, it will also sustain its traditional alliance with the United States.

On sensitive issues involving Thailand and its neighboring countries, such as border disputes with Cambodia, the new Thai government tends to maintain communication and coordination with China to jointly uphold regional stability.