Thailand's general election winner faces dilemma over support for tycoon’s PM bid

Thai property tycoon Srettha Thavisin is expected to be nominate for the much-coveted post of Prime Minister by the Pheu Thai Party. - Photo from The Nation Thailand/ANN

BANGKOK (Bloomberg): Move Forward Party, the surprise winner in Thailand’s May election, is in a quandary over whether to back or oppose a former ally’s candidate for prime minister after its own leader was rejected in his bids for the position.

A new coalition that’s being formed by Pheu Thai Party plans to nominate property tycoon Srettha Thavisin as its choice for prime minister. Voting against Srettha risks pushing Pheu Thai toward conservative adversaries and pro-royalist senators, who thwarted Move Forward’s efforts to form a government under Pita Limjaroenrat.