According to the BBC, the dissolution of parliament occurred against the backdrop of renewed clashes at the border with Cambodia, which resulted in at least 20 deaths and hundreds of thousands being forced to leave their homes.
In his decree, Anutin noted that "the most reasonable decision would be to dissolve parliament, which will allow political power to be returned to the people."
Anutin Charnvirakul, a prominent businessman, became the third Prime Minister of Thailand since August 2023. After his appointment in September, he had already stated his intention to dissolve parliament by the end of January.
However, after facing the threat of a vote of no confidence, the elections were moved to an earlier date.
His party, Bhumjaithai, and the Prime Minister himself have faced criticism for ineffective actions during the massive flooding in the south of the country, which claimed at least 176 lives.
The dissolution of parliament was a result of losing support from the progressive Move Forward Party, which had previously supported Anutin's government.
The two parties have opposing ideologies: the Move Forward Party and the conservative Bhumjaithai. However, the support from the Move Forward Party was conditional, requiring Anutin to initiate reforms to the military constitution and dissolve parliament within four months.
According to Thai media, the Move Forward Party was planning to initiate a vote of no confidence against the government, urging Anutin to dissolve parliament to "demonstrate responsibility to the people."
"See you at the polls," the party stated on its Facebook.
In the past 12 months, Thailand has experienced political instability, as two prime ministers have been removed from office by court rulings.
Anutin's predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was ousted for ethical violations after a scandalous phone call in which she referred to former Cambodian leader Hun Sen as "uncle" and criticized the Thai army.
Her predecessor, Srettha Thavisin, was also dismissed for ethical violations, particularly for appointing a former lawyer who had previously served a sentence to his cabinet.
