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 the decisive backing of the opposition, Anutin on Friday easily passed more than half of the lower house votes required to become premier, capping days of drama 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 between warring elites embroiled in an intractable power struggle and guaranteeing its place in a succession of coalition governments.

Anutin did not speak to the house before the vote.

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