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The People’s Party pledged its 143-strong parliamentary bloc to Anutin, heir to a construction engineering fortune, who told reporters it was “the duty of MPs” to vote him into office.
“Forming a government is essential, and we understand the party is seeking a way to resolve the crises,” he said.
The People’s Party said they would vote him in as soon as Friday.
Meanwhile, one of Anutin’s lieutenants said he entered a criminal complaint against acting Prime Minister Phumtham, accusing him of abuse of power for bidding to dissolve parliament.
It is unclear whether that complaint will result in charges, likewise a second made by a backbench MP accusing Phumtam of royal defamation for petitioning the king for dissolution without proper authority.
Thailand’s strict lese-majeste laws shield the king and his close family from criticism, and carry a maximum sentence of up to 15 years per offence.
Anutin previously served as deputy prime minister, interior minister and health minister – in 2022 delivering on a promise to legalise cannabis.
Charged with the tourist-dependent kingdom’s COVID-19 response, he accused Westerners of spreading the virus and was forced to apologise after a backlash.
Pheu Thai is the current electoral vehicle of the Shinawatra dynasty, which has for two decades jousted with the kingdom’s pro-monarchy, pro-military elite but is now flagging.
Anutin’s Bhumjaithai Party was their key coalition partner but abandoned a pact to govern alongside Paetongtarn in apparent outrage over her conduct during a border row with Cambodia.
That dispute saw Paetongtarn sacked by the Constitutional Court on Friday.
The People’s Party succeeded the Move Forward party which won the most seats in 2023 polls after campaigning to reduce military influence and reform the lese-majeste laws.
Move Forward was dissolved by court order, but any new election could see the People’s Party resurrect their campaign.
In a Bangkok shopping mall, Itthirat Sutannachana, 34, told AFP they would have his vote.
“I’ll give them a chance as a new face to see if they can do anything differently,” he said.
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