A legislative impasse and border fighting force Thailand into an early election under mounting public pressure.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has announced that he is “returning power to the people”, moving to dissolve parliament and opening the door to elections earlier than previously planned.

Anutin has submitted a request for the dissolution of parliament to the king, local media reported on Thursday.

If the monarch approves the dissolution, elections must be held within 45-60 days, according to the Thai constitution.

Government spokesman Siripong Angkasakulkiat told the news agency Reuters that the move followed a dispute with the opposition People’s Party, the largest bloc in the legislature.

“This happened because we can’t go forward in parliament,” Siripong said, describing a legislative impasse that has paralysed the government’s agenda.

The political rupture comes as Thailand faces a fourth consecutive day of heavy fighting with Cambodia along their shared border. At least 20 people have been killed and nearly 200 wounded in clashes across more than a dozen locations, some involving artillery exchanges.

Anutin insisted the dissolution would not disrupt security operations. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, he said military deployments along the border would continue uninterrupted.

He later repeated his stance on social media: “I am returning power to the people.”

Sluggish economy

Anutin, Thailand’s third prime minister since August 2023, has struggled to stabilise an economy hampered by high household debt, sluggish consumption and pressure from United States tariffs. Political uncertainty has added to the strain on Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy.

Anutin had initially said he planned to dissolve parliament by the end of January, with elections scheduled for March or early April.

His rise to power followed his Bhumjaithai Party’s withdrawal from the ruling coalition and a new agreement with the People’s Party, which demanded several concessions, including a referendum on constitutional reform, in exchange for supporting him.

Siripong said the coalition fractured when those demands were not met. “When the People’s Party couldn’t get what they want, they said they will submit a no-confidence motion and asked the PM to dissolve parliament immediately,” he told Reuters.

Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, the People’s Party leader, echoed that view, saying the Bhumjaithai Party had failed to honour their terms. “We have tried to use the voice of the opposition to push forward amending the constitution,” he said.