Anutin Charnvirakul is Thailand's new prime minister after breezing through a parliamentary vote, trouncing the candidate of the Shinawatra family's once-dominant ruling party to end a week of chaos and political deadlock.

With decisive opposition backing, Anutin on Friday easily passed the more than half of the lower house votes required to become premier, capping days of drama and a scramble for power during which he outmanoeuvred the most successful political party in Thailand's history.

Shrewd dealmaker Anutin has been a mainstay in Thai politics throughout years of turmoil, positioning his Bhumjaithai party strategically between warring elites embroiled in an intractable power struggle and guaranteeing its place in a succession of coalition governments.

His rout of rival contender

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