With Thailand heading into a general election on February 8, power is up for grabs in a three-way contest that highlights just how fluid - and transactional - the country’s politics have become. To date, with Reuters reporting that parties have submitted dozens of eligible names for the premiership, a small group of figures stand out as the main players to be left standing in Bangkok’s post-election bargaining to determine who runs the country for the next four years.

At the centre of all the action of late is Anutin Charnvirakul, the current caretaker prime minister and leader of the influential Bhumjaithai Party. A veteran dealmaker across the Thai political spectrum, Anutin claimed the top job in September 2025, after a court removed the previous premier. In doing so he quickly put together support from a number of coalition partners and rivals alike. Anutin’s reputation as a political bridge-builder in an otherwise polarised landscape has given him leverage well beyond his party’s size, Reuters says. Though conservative in nature, he is also known for sudden bold moves, most notably the headline-grabbing decriminalisation of cannabis. Come February 9, whether or not he stays on as prime minister will depend less on raw vote totals than on his ability to play ministries and influence the political forces that matter once results are in.

Challenging him from the progressive camp meanwhile is Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the young at heart leader of Thailand’s People’s Party and the current opposition head in government. A one-time tech entrepreneur, Natthaphong rose through the ranks of Thailand’s now-dissolved Move Forward Party, in the process helping to mastermind its formidable online campaign set-up. After courts dismantled Move Forward and sidelined its senior leadership, he emerged as the face of its successor, in part symbolising generational change but also a persistent reformist ambition that he has put to good use despite repeated legal glitches.

Pheu Thai, a long-dominant force linked to the all-important Shinawatra family, is at the same time pinning its hopes on Yodchanan Wongsawat. As an academic and political newcomer, Yodchanan carries one of the most famous surnames in Thai politics – even if generational politics is an issue many in Thailand are keen to distance themselves from. His family’s record is formidable but fraught: multiple Shinawatra-aligned prime ministers have come and gone, removed by coups or court rulings which only raises questions about whether Pheu Thai can finally break its cycle of electoral wins followed by institutional resistance.

Bhumjaithai, as is allowed in Thai politics, has also put forward Sihasak Phuangketkeow, a much-respected diplomat and a former ambassador, as a potentially technocratic alternative. More a nod to the party’s attempt to bolster its credentials with establishment figures respected abroad, he is an outsider who would almost certainly require a great deal of backroom negotiations rather than popular appeal to take the PM slot.

Within the People’s Party too, Sirikanya Tansakun is another prominent name that cannot be written off. As a policy heavyweight with a strong economic brief, she was once tipped to lead the progressive movement and as such remains a potential PM should courts sideline other party leaders.

At the same time, and lurking on the sidelines as many do in Thai politics, Abhisit Vejjajiva is a former prime minister and leader of the Democrat Party. Once the darling of the conservative establishment, Abhisit now plays the role of and elder statesman / kingmaker of sorts. His party is limited in influence, but in a hung parliament or prolonged political deadlock, his experience and neutrality could make him an unlikely compromise choice.