I am returning power to the people, Anutin said on social media late on Thursday. He is Thailand's third prime minister since August 2023, and political instability is taking a toll on south-east Asia's second-largest economy, which is grappling with US tariffs, high household debt and weak consumption. In September, Anutin said he planned to dissolve parliament by the end of January, with a general election to be held in March or early April, but this move would accelerate that timeline.
Mandy DeMayo emphasizes the need for local funding to supplement federal assistance, stating, 'Where we are not able to meet the community needs with federal funds for a variety of different reasons, we try to meet those needs with our local funds, so this is just a slice of our programs.'