Newly appointed Thai Senate includes many soldiers, police

BANGKOK – Thailand's newly appointed 250-member Senate, which will play a crucial role in selecting the country's next prime minister, will have more than 100 members of the police and military who have wielded power since a 2014 coup ousted an elected government.

The appointments became effective Tuesday, when they were published in the Royal Gazette.

Virtually all represent conservative elements in Thai society. They include former members of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, as well as many members of the unelected parliament that served under his junta.

The senators are expected to act as a bloc supporting Prayuth when a joint vote to choose the next prime minister is held in the next few weeks with the 500 members of the House of Representatives elected in March.