Thailand casts vote for change

BANGKOK — Thailand's opposition parties raked in most of the 500 seats available in the race for the House of Representatives, with the results on Monday suggesting that voters are ready for change.

Early indications were that opposition parties had won the majority of seats in the lower house of Parliament, the Election Commission said.

It came as officials said on Monday that the Thai economy had grown 2.7 percent in the first quarter thanks to a steady recovery in tourism and strong consumer confidence, offsetting sluggish exports.

The National Economic and Social Development Council has forecast the economy to grow between 2.7 and 3.7 percent this year. The January-March expansion marked a pickup from 1.4 percent in the previous quarter, the council said.

"Our domestic economy does not have any major problems. Consumption and the tourism sector continue to strengthen," Danucha Pichayanan, the council secretary, told reporters.

The council has said that an incoming government must prioritize boosting exports and finding new potential markets by speeding up free-trade negotiations.

Monday's vote was "people saying that we want change", according to Saowanee T. Alexander, a professor at Ubon Ratchathani University in northeastern Thailand.

With more than 99 percent of ballots counted on Monday, Move Forward appeared to have a small edge over Pheu Thai, whose leaders conceded on Sunday that they might not finish on top after a voter turnout of about 39 million, at about 75 percent.

The official result of the election is pending verification by the Election Commission, which is due in 60 days.

The Move Forward party, with a strong base among young voters, is seeking to form a coalition government with other opposition parties.

Pita Limjaroenrat, the 42-year-old leader of the Move Forward party, said on Monday that he has invited Pheu Thai and several other parties previously in the opposition to form the government.

"I have congratulated Pheu Thai leader, Paetongtarn (Shinawatra), for her hard-fought campaign and have invited her to join the coalition. And that includes other five parties in the previous opposition," he told a news conference.

Pita tweeted that he is ready to bring about change as the country's 30th prime minister. "Whether you agree or disagree with me, I will be your prime minister. Whether you have voted for me or not, I will serve you," he wrote.

The Pheu Thai party said in a statement that it has accepted the invitation but Paetongtarn said the two parties have yet to start negotiations.

The party of incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha held the fifth spot in the constituency vote and third in the party-preference tally. Prayut told reports late on Sunday that he respects the election results and will continue to serve the country no matter what his role will be.

Challenges ahead

Sunday's winner is not assured of the right to form the new government. A joint session of the 500-seat House of Representatives will be held with the 250-member Senate in July to select the prime minister. The winner must attain at least 376 of the combined 750 seats.

Analysts say a lot can still happen before the commission declares the results valid, a process that can take up to 75 days and will almost certainly include legal challenges.

Alexander cautioned that the situation remains "very unpredictable" and the results could be unilaterally affected by the commission, which previously disqualified opposition parties or otherwise undermined challenges to the conservative establishment.

She said the Bhumjaithai Party, which came in third, could be a "swing vote" as the combined Move Forward and Pheu Thai seats may not be enough for a majority coalition. Bhumjaithai controls a large bloc of votes in the northeast and helped put the military-backed coalition into power.

Agencies - Xinhua