PUBLISHED: 3 Jan 2025 at 04: 00
Pheu Thai’s alleged de facto leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, will be in Chiang Rai on Sunday to help its candidate seek votes for the Provincial Administrative Organisation ( PAO ) election.
According to press reports, Thaksin is going to Chiang Rai state for a day to plan for Salakjit Tiyapairat, a previous Chiang Rai PAO captain and Yongyuth Tiyapairat’s wife, former House Speaker, and a close social supporter of Thaksin in the North. She is also the family of Piyarat Tiyapairat, a Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Rai state.
Ms Salakjit’s battle had proposed that Thaksin take the stage in Thoeng, Mae Chan and Chiang Khong regions. However, Mr Yongyuth’s staff has been coordinating with Thaksin. The last plan will soon be confirmed.
In the PAO vote, which will take place on Feb 1, Ms Sulakjit is competing against Atitatorn Wanchaithanawong, even a former Chiang Rai PAO captain. Ms Atitatorn is running as an independent.
Despite Ms Atitatorn’s separate position, she is perceived to have the help of the “blue network”, linked to the Wanchaithanawong home.
In the 2023 public election, Rangsan Wanchaithanawong, a former MP from Chiang Rai and a native of Thoeng city, abandoned the Pheu Thai Party to meet the Bhumjaithai Party.
This enraged Thaksin and Pheu Thai, leading the group to force Terdchart Chaipong, ex-director of the Chiang Rai Educational Service Area Office, a democratic stranger, to run against Mr Rangsan and beat him.
Now, Mr Rangsan serves as assistant director to Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Anutin Charnvirakul, the head of Bhumjaithai.
In the 2020 Chiang Rai PAO vote, Pheu Thai publicly backed Wisaradee Techatheerawat, who lost to Ms Atitatorn, despite Thaksin sending a notice from abroad to help Ms Wisaradee.
Thaksin was at the moment undergoing self-imposed captivity abroad.
Also, in the 2023 Chiang Rai public election, Pheu Thai, which had previously dominated all seven divisions, won just four seats. The Move Forward Party received the remaining three.