Move Forward confident of winning 160 seats as party revs up campaign

While announcing the five campaign caravans at a press conference held at the party head office, Move Forward secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon expressed confidence that his party would win at least 160 MPs and would become the next coalition leader to push for changes to Thailand.

Chaithawat said although the latest opinion survey of the National Institute of Development Administration showed Move Forward would receive about 35% of support from voters, the party’s rallies at major Bangkok spots and in the provinces pointed to even bigger support, he said.

“The 35% figure of Nida Poll did not reflect clearly what the party has seen during its campaigns at Samyan Mitrtown shopping mall in Bangkok, at rallies in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Udon Thani provinces, and at Bang Saen beach in Chonburi,” Chaithawat said.

“There is a Move Forward fever around the country and it shows that people want changes.”

The Nida Poll’s May 3 survey found that Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat had surpassed Pheu Thai rival Paetongtarn Shinawatra as the top choice for PM of 35.44% of 2,500 eligible voters surveyed nationwide.

The survey also found that Move Forward received 35.36% of support and was the second most favoured party for party-list election. It received 33.96% support and was also second in the ranking of the most popular parties in constituency elections.

On the national campaign trail during the final week before the May 14 election, the party would send its leader and core members to meet voters in four key regions -- North, South, East and Northeast -- Chaithawat told the press conference.

Chaithawat himself would lead the caravan on the northern campaign trail while Pita would lead the campaign in both the South and East, he said.

There would be two campaign trails in the Northeast, one led by Move Forward patriarch Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and the other by Piyabutr Saengkanokkul, former secretary-general of Future Forward Party. Move Forward was created after Future Forward was dissolved following a Constitutional Court ruling.

Chaithawat said the five caravans would meet voters along their trail and all teams would return to Bangkok for the final major rally on May 12 evening.