Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has dissolved Thailand’s House of Representatives, paving the way for a general election, which is expected to be held in early May.
The announcement was published in the Royal Gazette today and took immediate effect.
A general election is constitutionally required to be held 45 days after, but within 60 days of the House dissolution. The Election Commission is mandated to announce a date for the election within five days of the House being dissolved.
It has been speculated that the date of the election will fall on either Sunday May 7th or 14th.
The House dissolution, which had been long anticipated, came just two days before the current four-year term of the House was to end. Thailand held its last general election on March 24th, 2019.
Prayut is hoping to make a political return as a prime ministerial candidate of the newly-formed United Thai Nation Party, which he recently joined. Most major political parties have already launched their election campaigns in anticipation of the House dissolution.
