Thaksin confident in Pheu Thai’s potential to dominate Northeast

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Friday confidently declared that the ruling Pheu Thai Party would sweep more than 100 House seats in the Northeast during the next general election.

He was responding to a reporter who asked if Pheu Thai, under the leadership of his daughter PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, would do as well in the 2027 general election as the Thai Rak Thai Party did under his leadership in 2001.

“We must win more than 100 seats,” Thaksin replied.

The Northeast is the most populated part of Thailand and has the largest number of MPs. Any party that wins in the Northeast, usually also wins the general election and becomes the leader of the government.

In last year’s general election, there were 132 House seats up for grabs in the Northeast, followed by 122 in the Central region.

When asked if Pheu Thai would welcome a group of former Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) MPs under the leadership of former agriculture minister Thamanat Prompow, Thaksin said: “They’re like staying with us already”.

The PPRP resolved to expel the group on grounds that they supported the Pheu Thai-led coalition government after the party was kicked across to the opposition bench due to Thaksin’s dislike of PPRP leader General Prawit Wongsuwan. Thaksin is widely considered the de facto leader of Pheu Thai.

Meanwhile, Thaksin said he will visit Chaing Mai later this month, along with Chiang Rai and Si Sa Ket, to help Pheu Thai campaign for leadership of the provincial administrative organisations (PAOs). Though, he said, he will be at home in Bangkok to mark a quiet New Year’s Day.

As for who is running for the Chiang Mai PAO election, he said reporters should wait for more details from the party. When asked if Pheu Thai is worried about local strongmen influencing the PAO elections, he said they will be dealt with by police.

He was apparently referring to the arrest on Wednesday night of Sunthorn Wilawan, president of the Prachinburi PAO, over suspicions of killing a PAO member earlier that night.

At 9.15pm on Wednesday, several gunshots were heard from a house on Wat Roman Utis Road in Prachinburi’s Muang district. The house reportedly belonged to Kanokwan Wilawan, Sunthorn’s daughter and former deputy education minister.

The shooting resulted in one death, Chaimet Sitsanitpong, a member of the Prachin Buri provincial council and Sunthorn’s adopted son.

“Look at Prachinburi. All influential people will be wiped out. Several provinces will be like that. Police are working hard these days,” Thaksin said.

He added that Pheu Thai will not contest in PAO elections in the South because the party does not have political supporters there.

He said Pheu Thai was not afraid of contesting in the Si Sa Ket PAO election, even though the province is known to be a stronghold of the family of Traisulee Taisaranakul, secretary to Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, who is also the leader of Bhumjaithai Party.