Thailand's parliament has selected a new House speaker. This comes after opposition parties scored a stunning victory in May's general election.

The progressive Move Forward Party and other allied parties are currently trying to form a coalition government. The selection of a house speaker could be a step forward.

Lawmakers in the House of Representatives unanimously endorsed veteran politician Wan Muhamad Noor Matha as speaker on Tuesday.

There was a rift between the second-largest party, the Pheu Thai Party, and Move Forward. They both wanted the post, as the speaker can influence the passage of legislation and the timing of votes.

But they came to a compromise on Monday. They settled on a third-party candidate from the opposition camp. The aim of that decision was to prevent the confrontation from affecting efforts to form a government.

The focus now turns to the election of the next prime minister. That is expected to take place in mid-July. The eight allied parties have agreed to back Move Forward's leader, Pita Limjaroenrat.

The coalition has a majority of the seats in the lower house. But it still needs the support of senators to get Pita the prime minister's job, and the senators were effectively handpicked by the military, after it orchestrated the 2014 coup.