HECTIC election campaigning took place at a market in Chiang Mai city with both People’s team led by Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the party’s campaign assistant, and Pheu Thai team wooing voters at same place on New Year’s Day (Jan. 1), TV Channel 7 said.
Thanathorn visited Uthai market at Ton Pao subdistrict, Sankamphaeng district, to help this camp’s candidate Mr. Nattapol Tovichakchaikul, who is the incumbent, campaign there with vendors and fans waiting to welcome him upon hearing that he was coming and offered him oranges, garlands and requested selfies with him in a lively atmosphere,
Former Pheu Thai MP Tasanee Buranaporn, who ran against Nattapol in the 2023 general election but skipped over to People’s camp, was also there. Currently, Tasanee is the 37th candidate on this camp’s party-list.
Just as they were campaigning in front to the market, a Pheu Thai campaign vehicle carrying Mr. Chakraphol Tangsutthitham drove up. He then entered the market to distribute brochures and solicit votes with the two parties’ teams running into each other. Thanathorn and Chakraphol smiled as they exchanged a wai (traditional Thai greeting) and New Year’s greetings then separated and moved to different areas of the market without conflict.
While Nattapol won the parliamentary seat for this Chiang Mai district in the 2023 election and Pheu Thai lost, this time the powerful Shinawatra family is going all out to win it back.
Chiang Mai used to be viewed as the biggest Pheu Thai stronghold in general elections over the last couple of decades but de facto party boss/inmate Thaksin Shinawatra’s party was largely defeated by the court-dissolved Move Forward in the 2023 election for MPs.
Out of a total 10 MP seats of Chiang Mai, the reformist Move Forward, practically rebranded as the People’s, which was the biggest party in the opposition bloc at parliament, won seven seats, leaving only two seats to the neo-conservative Pheu Thai and one other to the military-installed Palang Pracharath.
CAPTION:
People’s campaign assistant Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit greeting Pheu Thai candidate Chakraphol Tangsutthitham at Chiang Mai’s Uthai market, above, and campaigning there, inserted. Above photo – TV Channel 7, inserted image – Thai Rath
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