BANGKOK - Thailand votes Sunday in an election expected to deliver a rejection of former coup leader Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, with the opposition led by exiled billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra's daughter tipped to win the most seats.
Former army chief Prayut seized power in a 2014 coup, ousting Paetongtarn's aunt Yingluck, before becoming prime minister at the head of a complex multi-party coalition following a controversial 2019 election. Voters braved blistering heat on Sunday to cast early ballots a week ahead of the main voting day, with the Election Commission putting turnout at 90 percent.
With household debt running high and growth feeble, much campaigning has focused on the economy, which is Southeast Asia's second-largest. The wildcard in the election is the radical Move Forward Party, Pheu Thai's closest rival in the opinion polls, which has hoovered up support from young people disaffected with the old parties and who took to the streets in 2020.