The former Prime Minister of Thailand, Thaksin Shinawatra, held a live social media session late Tuesday night to talk about the recent election and about his potential return to Thailand.
The former prime minister said, “Whatever will be, will be,” despite the looming threat of imprisonment. The query was raised after Thaksin expressed his desire to return home this July.
Thaksin, who has been living in self-exile since a 2008 corruption conviction, has been a controversial figure in Thai politics. His comments came amidst the country’s political turbulence following the recent general elections.
In a statement, Thaksin congratulated the Move Forward Party (MFP) for their electoral victory, which led to a significant shift in the political landscape of Bangkok, turning it predominantly orange, the color representing the MFP.
He also accused the army’s Information Operation (IO) network of working overtime to propagate a rumor that the Pheu Thai Party, traditionally linked with Thaksin, was planning to form a different coalition against the MFP’s alliance.
Despite this, Thaksin reaffirmed his belief in Pheu Thai’s democratic spirit, stating that he expects the party to vote for the MFP’s Prime Minister candidate, irrespective of the circumstances.
Additionally, he shared insights into the MFP’s potential strategy, suggesting that they might engage in discussions with independent senators as a contingency, along with their efforts to secure adequate MPs to support their Prime Ministerial candidate.
However, Thaksin was adamant that the election result and political maneuverings did not influence his decision to return to Thailand.
He stated, “It is my home, and I want to return. Do you have any objections?” He explained that his primary motivation is personal – he desires to help raise his grandchildren.
Electoral changes
Thaksin reflected on the Pheu Thai Party’s recent underperformance in the May 14th elections. He attributed the party’s lower-than-expected results partly to certain candidates’ lack of ground-level engagement and their inability to adapt quickly to the rapidly changing world of social media.
Thaksin stated, “Pheu Thai lost this time because some candidates did not go into the field. The momentum before…was excellent, which led some people to underestimate the importance of grassroots connections.”
He praised the Move Forward Party (MFP) for their swift and contemporary transformation, leveraging the power of platforms such as TikTok for their campaign.
“The MFP has embraced change rapidly and contemporarily, using TikTok effectively. Old political parties do not understand this approach.”
Thaksin urged the party to embrace significant change. He asserted that the time had come for the party to undergo what he termed as “disruptive innovation.”
He accepted that Pheu Thai might not have adapted fast enough to the shifting dynamics, especially the transformative power of social media in political campaigning.