Samak Sundaravej new Thai PM

Samak Sundaravej won a parliamentary voting session Monday morning to become Thailand’s new prime minister.

The leader of the People Power party (PPP) received 310 votes with Democrat party nominee Mr Abhisit Vejjajiva receiving just 163 votes. Three people abstained and one was not present.

Mr Samak duly became Thailand’s 25th prime minister and is expected to be endorsed as prime minister by His Majesty the King.

The PPP leader’s win didn’t come as a surprise, given the high level of support from the rest of the PPP and coalition.

Mr Samak said that the new Cabinet would be announced within a few days after he has been royally bestowed by the King.

Seventy two year old Samak Sundaravej has been in politics almost 40 years and is one of the country’s most veteran politicians.

Although he was in favour of the 1976 coup which suppressed the student uprising, it was no secret that he opposed the 2006 coup which ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.