Sophon Zaram (C) waves after being elected the new Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand in Bangkok, Thailand, March 15, 2026. Sophon Zaram, a member of parliament from the Bhumjaithai Party, was elected the new Speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand on Sunday. Under the Thai constitution, the House speaker will also be the president of the National Assembly. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)
BANGKOK, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Sophon Zaram, a member of parliament (MP) from the Bhumjaithai Party, was elected the new speaker of the House of Representatives of Thailand on Sunday.
Under the Thai constitution, the House speaker will also be the president of the National Assembly. The new speaker will officially take office after the royal endorsement.
During the first parliamentary session following last month's general election, Sophon ran for the House speaker post against People's Party candidate Parit Wacharasindhu.
In a secret ballot vote, Sophon received 289 votes to become the new speaker, compared to 123 votes for Parit, acting Speaker Pairoj Lohsunthorn announced.
Sophon Zaram joined the Bhumjaithai party in 2008, and served as the country's transport minister from 2008 to 2011. He held the position of Thailand's caretaker deputy prime minister since September 2025.
In his vision statement, Sophon called on parliament to combine experience with modern tools such as artificial intelligence to maximize public benefit.
He said parliamentary mechanisms should prioritize bringing citizens' hardships to light while ensuring high-quality, balanced and rational oversight between the legislative and executive branches.
Following the election of the House speaker, the House of Representatives will convene a session in the coming days to vote for the prime minister. The candidate who secures the support of more than half of all members of the House of Representatives will be elected prime minister. ■