Thai PBS Verify found the source of the information from: X
ภาพบัญชี X แชร์ภาพนายอนุทิน ชาญวีรกูล นายกรัฐมนตรีและข้อความขยายวาระดำรงตำแหน่งนายกรัฐมนตรีเนื่องจากการจัดการพระบรมศพ พระพันปีหลวงชนนี
Thai PBS Verify found that an X account shared an image of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul along with text in the image stating:
“Anutin announces he will remain prime minister for another one to two years in order to oversee the royal funeral, and is preparing to petition the Royal Household Bureau for royal permission to temporarily suspend the use of Section 151 of the Constitution to halt a no-confidence debate.”
The post also added: “Oh? If this is true, the orange-hoofed party will have to wait a long time.” The post reached 119,000 views, received 803 reactions, and was reposted more than 175 times. Most commenters believed the post to be true.
In addition, the same content was found shared on Facebook and TikTok.
Old image overlaid with false text to create misleading news
Thai PBS Verify later examined the image using the Google Lens image-checking tool and found that the photo in the post was actually a picture of Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul giving a press briefing after receiving the royal command appointing him as prime minister on 7 September 2025, originally published on the Thai PBS website (click to view the archived original content).
The Google Lens verification result shows that the image matches a news report from the Thai PBS website.
The image from the false post (left) compared with the news photo of the prime minister giving a press briefing after receiving the royal command appointing him as prime minister on 7 September 2025 from the Thai PBS website (right).
Government spokesperson confirms it is “fake news”
Siripong Angkasakulkiat, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister, told Thai PBS Verify that the post claiming Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul would request to extend his term by another 1–2 years in order to organize the royal funeral of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother is completely false, and such an issue has never been mentioned.
He added that the prime minister has consistently said he will dissolve the House on 31 January 2026. He believes this claim was raised solely to discredit the prime minister.
Siripong Angkasakulkiat, spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister,
As for the claim that he planned to petition the Royal Household Bureau for royal permission to temporarily suspend the use of Section 151 of the Constitution, he confirmed that from the period of organizing the royal ceremony to the signing of the “Joint Statement” between the Thai and Cambodian leaders, and upon returning to continue official duties, there was never any discussion of such a matter — and it is absolutely impossible for it to happen.
Timeline of the prime minister from 25–28 October 2025
- 25 October 2025, The prime minister held a special Cabinet meeting on 25 October 2025 to set the framework for the royal ceremonies and mourning protocols. The Cabinet approved guidelines for government agencies to lower flags to half-mast for 30 days, require civil servants to wear mourning attire for one year, request the public to wear mourning attire for 90 days, and ask the entertainment industry to refrain from or reduce celebratory activities for 30 days. (Click to view the archived original content)
- 26–28 October 2025, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul travelled to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to attend the 47th ASEAN Summit and related meetings. He signed key diplomatic documents, including a joint declaration with the Cambodian prime minister “on Guidelines for the Management of the Thai–Cambodian Border for Peace,” witnessed by the U.S. president and the Malaysian prime minister.The prime minister reaffirmed that Thailand will not reopen its border checkpoints until Cambodia fulfills Thailand’s four conditions in concrete form. He also clarified his wording regarding “intrusion,” explaining that it did not mean Thailand intruded into Cambodia, but that the phrase “in the claimed area” had been omitted, causing misunderstanding. (Click to view the archived original content)
At the same time, the prime minister confirmed that the MOU on cooperation in rare-earth minerals with the United States had already been approved by the Cabinet (special session). He emphasized that the MOU does not grant concessions and is not legally binding, but simply reflects a friendly stance toward exploring technological cooperation and positive trade opportunities.
- 28 October 2025, The prime minister assigned Deputy Prime Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn to chair the Cabinet meeting on 28 October on his behalf, and instructed agencies that mourning ceremonies may be organized according to tradition, but formats should be adjusted to ensure appropriateness and dignity. (Click to view the archived original content)
- During the 47th ASEAN Summit, Anutin Charnvirakul reiterated that the plan to dissolve the House remains unchanged — it will take place on 31 January 2026. He also denied rumors claiming attempts were being made to block the opposition from filing a no-confidence motion during this period. (Click to view the archived original content)
However, after reviewing the entire timeline, Thai PBS Verify found no indication — either in meetings or media interviews — that Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul ever mentioned extending his term in office or seeking to suspend Section 151 of the 2017 Constitution, which governs the process of submitting a no-confidence motion.
Section 151 of the 2017 Constitution: Submission of a no-confidence motion
Article 151 specifies that a motion of no-confidence against the government — whether targeting an individual minister or the entire Cabinet — must be supported by no fewer than one-fifth of all sitting Members of Parliament (MPs).
If the House has a full 500 MPs, at least 100 MPs must sign the motion. When the motion is submitted, if the number of MPs has changed — for example, due to resignation, death, loss of status by Constitutional Court ruling, or party dissolution — the calculation of “all MPs currently in office” is based solely on the number of MPs who still officially hold their positions at that moment. (Click to view the archived original content)
What is the truth?
Thai PBS Verify found that the claim was fake news created to attack the prime minister by exploiting the period during which the country was organizing the royal funeral of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother, with the intent of causing political damage.
It is believed that the aim was to discredit the prime minister toward the end of the year — a time close to the deadline of the Memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the prime minister and the People’s Party regarding the dissolution of the House on 31 January 2026. The false narrative likely attempted to mislead the public into thinking the prime minister might not honor the agreement and intended to stay in office longer.
