Prayut plays Sepak Takraw, boards pedalboat while campaigning in Lumpini Park
Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha showed off his Sepak Takraw skills during election campaigning at Lumpini Park in Bangkok on Thursday.
Prayut, the PM candidate for the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party, spent around 10 minutes kicking a rattan ball with PM Office Minister Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana and joggers at the park.
Lumpini serves as a popular exercise ground for Bangkokians in the downtown district of Pathum Wan.
The crowd was reportedly impressed by the PM’s vigour despite his age – 69.
Prayut and UTN members then took the chance to chat with people exercising in the park. General Prayut is seeking a third term in office after coming to power following his 2014 coup.
The PM then took a pedalboat across Lumpini pond to greet people on the other side of the park.
The prime minister has been keen to display his athletic prowess during his term in office.
In 2017, he held regular 20-minute aerobics sessions known as Workout Wednesdays at Government House. He also joined football and Speak Takraw practise on the lawns of his official workplace. Meanwhile he has regularly grabbed the chance to show off his fighting skills by punching and kicking the pads with Muay Thai stars.
Prayut trails in a distant third place as the preferred choice of next PM with 8.13%, according to the latest Nation Poll.
Pheu Thai’s Paetongtarn Shinawatra topped the poll with 33.81% while Move Forward’s Pita Limjaroenrat came second with 16.87%. The poll was conducted among 39,687 respondents across the country from April 7 to 12.
However, almost one-quarter of respondents (22.58%) said they were still undecided.
The next prime minister will be selected by a vote of both Houses of Parliament after the May 14 election.
