It’s red vs orange in battle to elect Udon Thani administrative chief

The upcoming election for the chief executive of the Udon Thani Provincial Administrative Organization (PAO) is shaping up to be a fierce contest. 

For over a decade, Udon Thani has been known as the "Red Shirt Capital". Changes came over the political landscape after Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit launched his Future Forward Party in 2018. 

Many ideological red shirts transitioned to the "orange shirt", moving away from “Red Shirts Loyal to Thaksin” who joined the Pheu Thai Party.

Pheu Thai is currently led by Thaksin’s daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, while the Orange Party has undergone three changes – Future Forward to Move Forward to what is now called the People's Party, with Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut as leader.

The Udon Thani PAO election is a showdown between the two main candidates: Kanisorn Khurirang, representing the People's Party, and Sarawut Phetpanomporn, a former MP running under the Pheu Thai banner. 

Both candidates are supported by high-profile campaigners in the final stretch before voting day on November 24.

Sarawut is backed by former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, who made his first public rally appearance in over 18 years. Meanwhile, Kanisorn's campaign features prominent figures from the Orange Party, including Natthaphong, Chaitawat Tulathon, and Pannika Wanich. The highlight, however, is the return of Pita Limjaroenrat, former leader of the Move Forward Party, who flew back from the US to join the campaign.

The decision to involve Pita reflects concerns over Nattapong's appeal as party leader. This follows a recent student-led "Udon Poll", which, despite disclaimers from Udon Thani Rajabhat University, suggested that Kanisorn leads with 36.2%, compared to Sarawut's 15.2%, while 47.9% of respondents were undecided.

The high number of swing votes has prompted both parties to intensify their efforts. A loss for Pheu Thai in Udon Thani, a red shirt stronghold, would be a blow to their image, while a victory for the Orange Party would mark a historic first in PAO elections.

Since Thanathorn was banned from politics and founded the Progressive Movement, none of the candidates fielded by his party for PAO chief positions since 2020 have won. In Udon Thani, the orange camp secured five PAO council seats. By 2021, the movement showed progress in smaller local elections, winning five subdistrict mayor positions and nine Subdistrict Administrative Organisation chief posts, mostly in rural areas. This shift indicated that many grassroots "red shirts" were changing their allegiance to the "orange camp”.

Move Forward's breakthrough in Udon Thani in the 2023 general election, when it secured one MP and over 295,000 party-list votes, further underscored its growing influence.
 
In a sign of the campaign heating up, Thaksin and Thanathorn have attacked each other during the campaign. Thaksin criticised Thanathorn over his views on Article 112 (the lese majeste law) and coalition-building after the 2023 election, aiming to sway swing voters. In response, Thanathorn clarified that the breakdown in forming a coalition was not due to Article 112 and accused Thaksin of being a part of the problem rather than the solution.

As Pita takes the stage in Udon Thani, his speeches will be closely watched, particularly his stance on Article 112 and his push for reforms. With the Orange Party's campaign culminating during the Loy Krathong festivities, all eyes are on whether they can make history by electing the first Orange PAO chief.