A headline in an international media outlet describing prime minister-elect Anutin Charnvirakul as “Thailand’s cannabis king” has some people fuming, but those in his own Bhumjaithai Party are not among them.

National security is now on the election agenda for political parties at a time when public trust in them has nosedived v The PP backing Bhumjaithai’s bid to form a new government does not bode well for Pheu Thai, observers say.

RECAP: Asian markets mostly gained on Friday after an intense sell-off of Chinese equities eased, amid reports the country’s financial regulators could intervene to slow the dumping. A Wall Street stock rally also lifted sentiment.

Demonstrations in Indonesia and a weakened Vietnamese dong could impact inbound arrivals to Thailand in the short term, though both markets are still projected to have high GDP growth and contain a large youth population deemed to have high potential.

With Anutin Charnvirakul, leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, elected as the new prime minister by parliament on Friday, industry leaders have highlighted priorities for the government to strengthen economic growth, digital competitiveness, tourism and investor confidence.

Bhumjaithai Party leader Anutin Charnvirakul is preparing to form a government after being elected with 311 votes, comfortably surpassing the 247 required for a majority, to become the country’s 32nd prime minister.