Thailand's progressive Move Forward Party claimed victory in the country's election on Monday after voting results delivered a stunning setback for military-backed parties, which have ruled the kingdom for nearly a decade.

A massive surge for Move Forward (MFP) in Sunday's ballot left it on course to be the biggest party, followed by its rival opposition – the Pheu Thai movement of billionaire ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thai voters turned out in record numbers to deliver a brutal verdict on former coup leader Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who has been blamed for economic stagnation.

MFP leader Pita Limjaroenrat said he would seek to build a six-party coalition including Pheu Thai, which said it was ready to join, though negotiations of the details have not yet begun.

"I am Pita Limjaroenrat, the next prime minister of Thailand," he told reporters at the MFP headquarters in Bangkok.

"We are ready to form the government," he added, vowing to be a "prime minister for all".

Pita said he had called Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Pheu Thai's lead prime minister candidate, to congratulate her on her campaign and invite her to join the coalition.

"The sentiment of the air has changed, it was right. It was the right timing, people have been through enough," he said in English.

"Today is a new day, and hopefully it is full of sunshine and hope."

Between them, MFP and Pheu Thai are expected to take 292 out of 500 seats in the lower house, with the two main army-allied parties mustering just 76 seats in total.

The newest force in Thai politics, MFP channelled the energy of youth-led protests in 2020 in an election campaign pitting a young generation yearning for change against the conservative old guard embodied by 69-year-old ex-general Prayut.

With ballots counted from 99 percent of polling stations, Election Commission data showed MFP on 14.1 million in the popular vote followed by Pheu Thai on 10.8 million.

The United Thai Nation party, led by Prayut – the former army chief who seized power in a 2014 coup – was a distant third on 4.7 million. (AFP)
______________________________
Last updated: 2023-05-15 HKT 16:06