A Pheu Thai Party campaign poster pledging a 10,000 Thai Baht handout should they win Thailand's upcoming general election is pictured in Bangkok on Tuesday, May 2, 2023. - AFP
BANGKOK, May 2 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): An aide of outgoing Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-O-Cha said on Tuesday that former premier haksin Shinawatra’s comments about wanting to return to Thailand will sway the silent majority’s vote.
Thanakorn Wangboonkonghchana, deputy leader of the United Thai Nation Party (UTNP), said Thaksin’s announcement that he wants to return home will be a boon for Prayut because the silent majority will be reminded of the work the former general has done.
“I believe most Thais understand what Prayut has done for the country over the past eight years,” Thanakorn said.
“If the problematic person on the other side speaks so often, people will be reminded more of Prayut and it will benefit us in the election.”
Thanakorn was referring to a Twitter message from Thaksin on Monday in which he said he wanted to return home to be with his grandchildren.
“As I will turn 74 this July, I want to ask for permission to return to look after my grandchild. See you soon,” the tweet read.
The fugitive former premier posted this message after his youngest daughter, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, delivered her second child on Monday.
Political observers and academics believe Thaksin said this to help Pheu Thai achieve its goal of a landslide victory in the May 14 general election.
Observers believe Pheu Thai and Thaksin fear the increasingly popular Move Forward Party, an ally in the so-called democracy camp, will steal a significant number of House seats.
Thanakorn, however, said he believes the election will eventually boil down to a fight between the side that supports Prayut and the side that votes for Pheu Thai.
He said voters who choose Bhumjaithai or Move Forward will not be swayed, but Thaksin’s comment may prompt the silent majority to opt for Prayut.
“I see the way that Thaksin has spoken so often will influence some people’s decision, especially the big chunk of people who are undecided,” Thanakorn said.
Pheu Thai Party candidate and then-pregnant Paetongtarn Shinawatra arrives for the first day of the constituencies candidates registration ahead of Thailand's general election, in Bangkok. - AFP
Bloomberg has reported that former premier Thaksin said he wants to return to Thailand after his youngest daughter, a politician who is a frontrunner to lead the Southeast Asian nation, gave birth just two weeks before national elections.
"This morning I am so glad I got my seventh grandchild,” Thaksin said in a tweet on Monday. "I want to ask for permission to return to raise my grandchildren as I will turn 74 this July. See you soon.”
Paetongtarn Shinawatra gave birth to a baby boy during an election campaign that has seen her party amass a solid lead against ex-generals who are seeking to extend nearly a decade of army-backed rule.
Although polls are set for May 14, it may be weeks or months before a prime minister is elected as the military-appointed Senate will vote along with the lower house of parliament to decide who gets the top job.
The Shinawatra scion was nominated as one of three prime minister candidates by the main opposition party Pheu Thai, which is filled with politicians who have worked with Thaksin since his first election win in 2001. Opinion surveys consistently show Paetongtarn is among the top three choices for the premiership.
Thaksin, who was ousted in a 2006 military coup and has lived abroad to avoid a jail term for a corruption conviction, is an enduring and polarizing figure. He told Kyodo News in March that he is ready to serve his prison sentence in Thailand provided he is allowed to spend the rest of his life with his family regardless of the election result.
The former premier’s party and allies have won the most seats in every national vote dating back to 2001 due to his sway over the rural heartlands, which he won over with cheap healthcare and guaranteed crop prices. Thaksin has backed family members like his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, who became prime minister but whose government was also ousted by the generals in 2014. - Bloomberg
