The procedure for the selection of the prime minister at the joint meeting of members of the House and the Senate on July 13th is as follows:
- The names of the prime ministerial candidates must be submitted to the Election Commission by their parties. Currently, there are eight, namely Move Forward party’s Pita Limjaroenrat, Pheu Thai party’s Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Srettha Thavisin and Chaikasem Nitisiri, United Thai Nation party’s General Prayut Chan-o-cha and Pirapan Salirathavibhaga, Bhumjaithai party’s Anutin Charnvirakul and Democrat party’s Jurin Laksanawisit.
- A prime ministerial candidate nominated by a party must be seconded by at least one-tenth of the members of the parliament, to be approved by members of the two houses.
- Voting by MPs and senators is done by roll call in alphabetical order, with each stating “approve”, “disapprove” or “abstain”.
- The “approval” votes must be more than half the combined number of MPs and senators, or at least 376 votes out of a total of 749, to become the prime minister.
