Thai opposition names property tycoon as adviser amid rumours of PM candidacy

THAILAND’S biggest opposition party on Wednesday (Mar 1) named a well-known local property tycoon as its new adviser ahead of an upcoming election, adding fuel to speculation that he is being lined up as another prime ministerial candidate.

The Pheu Thai party, which together with its previous incarnations has won every Thai election since 2001, announced that Srettha Thavisin, chief executive officer of property developer Sansiri, had been brought in as a senior adviser.

“It’s time to do more political work, but let’s take the future step by step,” Srettha, 60, said when asked by reporters about him being a possible candidate for premier, following months of rumours.

Paetongtarn Shinawatra, 36, whose father and aunt led governments overthrown in military coups in 2006 and 2014 respectively, has topped opinion polls since last year, and was confirmed during the weekend as one of Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidates.

Under election rules, a party can name up to three candidates for premier. Pheu Thai previously said that it would name three.

Srettha said that he would be stepping up his presence on the campaign trail for the election, which is due in May.

“Paetongtarn has done well, but being seven months pregnant, there are limits,” he said.

They will face off against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a general who led the coup against the last Pheu Thai government in 2014.

Underlining the bitter rivalry between Thailand’s warring political camps, Prayuth on Wednesday dismissed questions about Srettha’s prospects, and asked reporters what was special about him being a real-estate mogul. “The nation is not a business”, Prayuth said, before walking to a waiting car.

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“Remember my words – the country’s economy is not a family business, do you understand?“ REUTERS