Pheu Thai unveiled the names of MP candidates for all 400 constituencies and new policies for the upcoming general election on Thursday.
The main opposition party aims for 310 MP seats out of the total 500 (400 constituencies and 100 party-list) available seats at the election that is slated for May.
The party said they need a “landslide” victory to counter the 250 votes from the junta-appointed senators who still have the power to vote for a prime minister as dictated by the junta-drafted charter.
Despite some senators saying otherwise, most experts still believe that the majority of the senators will prioritize votes for PM candidates from the military faction first, including General Prayut Chan-o-cha of the Ruam Thai Sang Chart Party and General Prawit Wongsuwan from the ruling pro-military party.
One of Pheu Thai’s economic advisers and potential PM candidate Srettha Thavisin said during his first political speech for the party said the Prayut administration’s leadership had led the country backward and people are suffering from lowered income, higher expenditure, outdated education system and higher inequality.
He said if Pheu Thai became government they will:
- Push for efficient economic growth
- Increase the minimum household income to 20,000 baht per month
- Bring businesses that do not pay taxes into the tax collection system
- Get rid of police bribery
- Make sure that poor people are not bullied by the justice system
- Create job opportunities
- Build a public digital wallet system to support its domestic stimulus measures such as giveaway digital credits to increase spending at local stores
- Find new trade channels
- Build diplomatic relationships with more countries including negotiating for more free-visa programs
- Double the revenue growth of the tourism sector by expanding tourism to secondary and lesser-known destinations
- Encourage foreign deposits and investments in order to change Thailand into ASEAN’s “Blockchain Hub” and “Fintech Centre”
- Switch from mandatory military conscription to a volunteering system
- Provide more rights and access to welfare for LGBTQ+ people
- Fixing the smog problem by getting rid of agricultural burnings in the country via biodegrading practices, negotiating with neighboring countries to find ways to stop agricultural burnings at the regional level and tax incentives for low-emission vehicles
Additional report by Erich Parpart
