Southeast #5: The business of power in Thailand
Anutin’s cabinet of insiders and tycoons sparks accountability concerns.
I’m going to push Southeast today since it’s topical — all about Thailand: Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s cabinet and the corporate influences of its key members.
Of course, with Southeast I aim high (no pun intended, given it’s about the “cannabis king”).
Southeast is a weekly section for all subscribers of The Malaysianist that tracks money and power.
It’s a hamster wheel an experiment — one that I’m enjoying (I think?) — to gauge regional appetite for adversarial content.
A friend asked whether it was worth pursuing Southeast since it pulls me away from Malaysia. After some discussion, it’s clear it’s still very early days.
But one trend is emerging, and I’m curious to see if it holds: 90% of subscribers sign up for a paid plan through a Southeast-related post.
Of course, as we all know, the opposite applies when it comes to Malaysian content — 90% are free sign-ups, which then whittle away once they realise there’s no free content here on this tiny corner of the internet.
Such is life, and I can’t complain much. I’ll be back to my bread and butter — Malaysia coverage — in the next newsletter.
But I’m hoping to push out a more colourful founder’s report at year-end, since I’ve been tinkering a lot and have gone through one too many close shaves (I’m bald already!) working on this full time.
Since I’m on the topic, a quick recap of the BIG price update coming your way:
And as always, the usual ICYMIs, from royalty to VCs:
You’re reading a paid version of The Malaysianist, a newsletter on money and power by writer and journalist Emmanuel Samarathisa.
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I’ll split this newsletter into two parts: first, a recap of the events around Anutin’s appointment as PM and, second, the business links surrounding him and key cabinet members (there’s a graph in the story).
Let’s get to it.
Anutin’s appointment as prime minister came after the Thai king endorsed his cabinet, following the court-ordered removal of his predecessor over ethics violations and public anger at a deadly border clash with Cambodia.
The reshuffle marks a turning point for Thai politics, with Anutin — a long-time heavyweight and heir to a construction empire — now heading a cabinet that mixes seasoned operators with non-politicians.
The line-up, expected to be sworn in soon, comes at a time when citizens are demanding accountability amid simmering regional tensions.
This in turn puts pressure on Anutin’s government to restore stability at home and credibility abroad.
Anutin’s rise in September capped months of turmoil in Thailand’s volatile political landscape.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, daughter of former PM Thaksin, was removed by the Constitutional Court on August 29 for ethics violations tied to a leaked June call with Cambodia’s Hun Sen.
Her actions were deemed to have undermined national interests in the border dispute, triggering the coalition’s collapse.
Anutin’s party, the conservative Bhumjaithai, withdrew from government citing outrage over Paetongtarn’s conduct.
In a week of frantic deal-making, Anutin outmanoeuvred Pheu Thai’s candidate, veteran Chaikasem Nitisiri, by securing a surprise alliance with the progressive People’s Party (143 seats).
The coalition demanded reforms including elections within four months and a referendum on replacing the 2014 military-era constitution with one drafted by elected representatives.
On September 5, parliament voted 311–179 in his favour, well above the 247 required. This was a major blow to the Shinawatra dynasty. Thaksin fled to Dubai hours before the vote amid looming court cases.
He is now incarcerated, serving a one-year term with no immediate appeals reported, for failing to properly serve an earlier eight-year sentence related to corruption and abuse-of-power convictions from his time as prime minister (2001–2006).
Two days later, King Maha Vajiralongkorn formally endorsed Anutin in a ceremony at Bhumjaithai headquarters.
He was sworn in soon after, unveiling a cabinet of technocrats tasked with restoring confidence in the economy — forecast to grow by only 1.8% — and managing the tense relationship with Cambodia.
Anutin is Thailand’s third prime minister in two years since the 2023 election, leading a minority coalition of Bhumjaithai and smaller parties reliant on opposition tolerance.
Bangkok-based analysts tell me Anutin is seen as a temporary “middleman” fix to avert stalemate or coup, but warn his tenure risks revenge politics against Pheu Thai and will test his ability to manage overlapping crises.
Anutin’s 35-member cabinet is a mix of political insiders from Bhumjaithai (16 posts) and external technocrats for economic and diplomatic roles.
I’ve picked out key cabinet members, their roles, and documented business connections with help from regional contacts.