By Panarat Thepgumpanat and Chayut Setboonsarng
BANGKOK, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Thailand's Bhumjaithai Party, which won Sunday's general election by a wide margin, will be joined by the third-place Pheu Thai party to form a coalition government, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday.
Anutin-led Bhumjaithai romped to a surprise victory on Sunday securing 193 seats in the 500-member House of Representatives, followed by the reformist People's Party with 118 seats and the populist Pheu Thai at 74, according to Reuters' calculations based on election commission data.
The support of Pheu Thai - backed by the currently imprisoned billionaire former premier Thaksin Shinawatra - will give Anutin a clear parliamentary majority, potentially paving the way for a stable coalition after a period of political instability.
"We will work together as a government and manage the country so we can do good things for the country," Anutin told reporters, after holding talks with Pheu Thai leaders.
FORMER COALITION PARTNERS
Bhumjaithai was a member of a Pheu Thai-led ruling coalition that took power following the last election in 2023, but walked out of the alliance in June last year, following a leaked phone call between then premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra and former Cambodian leader Hun Sen.
Paetongtarn, Thaksin's daughter, was later dismissed by a court order, opening the door for Anutin to become prime minister.
After less than 100 days in power, the 59-year-old Anutin dissolved parliament in December, triggering a snap election, which he won riding on a wave of nationalism sparked by a fierce border conflict with Cambodia.
"Please erase any misunderstandings from the past," Anutin said. "We would like to work together, govern the country together."
'THEY ARE FRENEMY'
The move by Bhumjaithai to join hands with Pheu Thai was a practical decision to bolster its coalition and its connections with a network of businesses through Thaksin, said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political scientist at Ubon Ratchathani University.
"This is not a big surprise, they are frenemy," he said, referring to the complex relationship between both parties.
"When you add up their numbers, they both can sense a strong coalition government."
Bhumjaithai has this week also secured the support of six smaller parties, totalling eight seats, spokeswoman Nan Boonthida Somchai said, which means an alliance led by the conservative outfit has around 275 seats in parliament.
Faced with a raft of economic challenges that could be best tackled by a stable government, Anutin said that Bhumjaithai would continue talks with other parties to join its coalition.
"We want strength," he said.
(Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat, Chayut Setboonsarng and Panu Wongcha-um, Writing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by John Mair)
