Thai election winner plots ambitious comeback as early vote looms
The year-old People’s Party, the third iteration of a pro-democracy movement, is targeting 20 million votes
[BANGKOK] The reformist party that won Thailand’s last election is seeking a comeback by targeting populist and conservative strongholds ahead of an expected vote, even as its pact to back rival Anutin Charnvirakul for prime minister risks eroding support.
The year-old People’s Party, the third iteration of a pro-democracy movement, is targeting 20 million votes – half the popular vote – in an election likely in early 2026, its leader Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut said in an interview. That would secure a majority in the 500-member House of Representatives.
The target exceeds the 14 million votes that propelled predecessor Move Forward to a surprise 2023 victory before being blocked by Anutin’s Bhumjaithai and the military-appointed Senate. Move Forward, backed by younger urban voters seeking democratic reforms, was dissolved last year by the Constitutional Court for trying to amend Thailand’s royal defamation law – a ruling that bars the People’s Party from campaigning on that issue.
The People’s Party plans to field candidates in all 400 constituencies but focus on 100 seats in the rural northeast where Move Forward placed second in 2023, challenging Pheu Thai, led by populist billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra, and Anutin’s ruling Bhumjaithai. In the south, a conservative stronghold, it aims to add 30 seats.
“The challenge is we’ll be fighting an old political system with local power networks,” Natthaphong, a former tech entrepreneur, said in an interview in Bangkok. “We need to prioritise winning more constituency seats as we size up, as we’ll likely only gain 10 more party seats from the popular votes.”
In a first for Thai politics, the party plans to unveil a Cabinet lineup before the vote. Its picks – technocrats, academics and business leaders alongside party members – would signal transparency and broaden appeal as it focuses on economic and livelihood issues, Natthaphong said.
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A strong showing could put the party at risk of disbandment, as happened to its predecessors. Move Forward’s dissolution led to its leader being banned from politics for a decade, leaving the People’s Party without a nominee after Paetongtarn Shinawatra was ousted as prime minister last month.
To avoid that misstep, Natthaphong will be named the top candidate, while the search is on for one or two more nominees. They may be from inside the party or outside, he said.
“What will guarantee us the ability to truly carry out the national agenda we have committed to is the need for a government with very strong legitimacy,” he said. “No candidate will be merely a figurehead or backup.”
Since its launch in late 2024, the People’s Party has led opinion polls, with Natthaphong the top choice for premier. But its decision to back Anutin as prime minister of a minority government – in exchange for his pledge to call for elections within four months and support constitutional amendments – may dent its popularity.
Some said the party shouldn’t have lent conditional support as an opposition party, but Natthaphong argued the move was needed to break the deadlock after Paetongtarn’s ouster and secure an early election. Not backing Anutin would have prolonged Pheu Thai’s rule and possibly opened the door for former junta leader Prayuth Chan-Ocha to return.
“In the long run, our work, including steering the country in the direction we intend, will help restore support among voters who may have been disappointed,” said Natthaphong.
Still, analysts saw potential long-term gains. For once, the People’s Party’s push to amend the royal defamation law, long a flashpoint with the royalist establishment, seemed largely forgotten. By cooperating with Bhumjaithai, the party may broaden its appeal while weakening its main rival, Thaksin-backed Pheu Thai.
“This was to say that in the past they have been wrongfully cast as a terrible monster, and Thaksin has positioned himself as someone who can take out the monster,” said Olarn Thinbangtieo, deputy dean of Burapha University’s Faculty of Political Science and Law. “With Pheu Thai fading, the ideological faultline will be clearer in future elections, with the People’s Party on one side and Bhumjaithai on the other.”
Natthaphong said backing Anutin wasn’t about aligning with conservatives and the party’s agenda, including changes to the lèse-majesté law, remains intact.
“It’s inevitable that we need to reach other groups of voters. Will this require adjusting our communication and positioning strategy? Definitely. But we’re not changing our stance,” Natthaphong said. BLOOMBERG
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