Thailand's new Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, laid out an ambitious to-do list for his government in a speech to Parliament on Monday (September 29). Topping his agenda are fixing the country's economic problems, mending fences with Cambodia, and rewriting the constitution. But with a tight four-month deadline to call new elections, he'll have to work fast.

Anutin's rise to power came with a key promise to the People's Party, which holds the most seats in Parliament: hold a referendum on a new, more democratic constitution. The current one was put in place under military rule, and the People's Party has long been pushing for a change. Anutin said his government will back a referendum that would let the people elect an assembly to draft the new charter.

On the economic front, Anutin pledged to help households struggling with debt and the rising cost of living. He specifically mentioned tackling the high prices of electricity, gasoline, and transportation as a priority. He also said his government would try to shield Thailand from the impact of global trade wars and US tariffs.

The new prime minister also addressed the recent border conflict with Cambodia, which saw a five-day clash in late July that left dozens dead and displaced over a quarter of a million people. Anutin said he wants to use diplomacy to resolve the territorial disputes and will push for a referendum on whether Thailand should scrap the current border agreement with its neighbor.

But Anutin's got a tough road ahead. The very party that helped him become prime minister, the People's Party, has said it will act as the opposition in Parliament. That means they could vote against his plans, making it hard for him to get things done.

Rounding out his speech, Anutin promised to crack down on corruption and illegal gambling, improve the country's disaster warning system, and tackle air pollution, all in an effort to "restore faith and happiness to the Thai people."

Anutin, the leader of the Bhumjaithai Party, takes over from Paetongtarn Shinawatra of the Pheu Thai Party. She was removed from office after being found guilty of ethics violations over a controversial phone call with Cambodia's Senate President, Hun Sen.

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