Palang Pracharath attracts Pheu Thai MPs in major shift

The Star

3 days ago

BANGKOK: Palang Pracharath Party has been successfully drawing former Pheu Thai MPs, signalling a shift in political allegiance amid growing disillusionment with the ruling party.
The fate of the Pheu Thai Party continues to decline, as both father and daughter, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra (pic left) and current Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, enter a period of dangerous signals.
It comes as no surprise that the NIDA Poll has reflected a sharp drop in the popularity of Paetongtarn and Pheu Thai, especially in the North-East region.
As a result, Gen Prawit Wongsuwan (pic right), leader of the Palang Pracharath Party, has appeared more energised, even offering himself as a potential prime minister should legal issues force Thaksin's daughter out, much like the downfall of Srettha Thavisin.
Political experts are already predicting that the Palang Pracharath Party will struggle in the next election.
However, recent movements in the North-East are proving to be a surprise, reinforcing the countdown to the Paetongtarn administration's possible collapse and the possibility of an early dissolution of parliament.
This comes after Santi Promphat, the party's deputy leader, who has occasionally appeared among prominent figures in the blue camp (Bhumjaithai Party) on July 8, announced the Palang Pracharath Party's 21 prospective candidates for parliament.
Nearly all of them are former MPs from the North-East region and former Pheu Thai candidates.
It has become clear in recent times, following the departure of "Wiwatchai Hotrawaisaya," a former five-term MP from Si Sa Ket and former candidate for the provincial governor of Si Sa Ket, who left Pheu Thai and joined the Palang Pracharath Party.
Similarly, "Piyawat Pansaicheua," a former two-term MP from Yasothon under Pheu Thai, has also begun to make his move.
The reason former Pheu Thai MPs from the Northeast are abandoning the party is largely due to the controversies surrounding the leaked audio clip between Prime Minister Paetongtarn and former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, as well as the situation along the Thai-Cambodian border.
Another factor is the dissolution of the party's quota system for ministers—once based on regional or provincial quotas. Particularly with the reshuffle of Paetongtarn's Cabinet, the ministerial slots now seem to favour political allies and business interests.
The lack of attention from the "Big Boss" (Thaksin) to MPs who had once been the backbone of election campaigns has proven to be the final straw, prompting many to leave as they assess the diminishing prospects of Pheu Thai, with the government now seemingly in a countdown to its end.
NIDA Poll's latest survey, conducted in the second quarter of 2025, reveals that the popularity of Paetongtarn and Pheu Thai has plummeted, especially in the Northeast. The party's support in this region has dropped significantly.
Meanwhile, the rising popularity of "Gen Boonsin Phadkhlang," the Commander of the 2nd Army, a descendant from the Northeast, who has vowed to protect the nation's sovereignty, has deepened the sense of disillusionment among the people of the Northeast toward the Pheu Thai Party.
For over two decades, the people of the Northeast have supported Thaksin's political parties, from Thai Rak Thai to Palang Prachachon and Pheu Thai. However, at this moment, they are facing a crisis of faith.
Since mid-June 2025, Pheu Thai supporters in Si Sa Ket's Sriratana district were taken by surprise when "Sia Phu," Wiwatchai Hotrawaisaya, opened a new office with Palang Pracharath Party signage.
Many still remember the image of Thaksin leading a large campaign team earlier this year to support Wiwatchai, who was running for the position of Provincial Administrative Organisation President of Si Sa Ket under Pheu Thai.
On Jan 25, 2025, Thaksin made a public plea during a campaign speech in Kantharalak: 'Phu (Wiwatchai) has been with me since Thai Rak Thai, never wavering or switching sides. Please vote for Phu on my behalf.'
However, Thaksin's plea had little influence as "Sia Phu" lost to the incumbent, Wichit Traisaranakul, in a landslide, leading to the mocking phrase "Thaksin's charm is fading."
The Hotrawaisaya family is a local business dynasty from Ubon Ratchathani, with two family members having served as MPs for the province—Phaitoon Hotrawaisaya and Phulsawat Hotrawaisaya.
Wiwatchai relocated his family from Ubon Ratchathani to establish a business in Sriratana, Si Sa Ket, where he entered local politics and became an MP for his first term under Thai Rak Thai.
In the last Si Sa Ket election, Wiwatchai was defeated by Thana Kitpaiboonchai of the Palang Pracharath Party, who is the nephew of Wichit Traisaranakul, the Si Sa Ket Provincial Administrative Organization President.
"Sia Phu" Wiwatchai has also convinced his former colleague, Piyawat Pansaicheua, a former MP from Yasothon, to swap his red shirt for Palang Pracharath.
Piyawat, who lost in the last election for the Yasothon 1 constituency to the new female politician Supaporn Salabsri from the Thai Sang Thai Party, is now looking to make a shift.
Supaporn is preparing to change parties in the next election and is expected to run under Pheu Thai instead of Piyawat.
Supaporn and two other MPs from Thai Sang Thai are supporting Thakorn Tantasith, a party-list MP, to support Paetongtarn's second Cabinet, resulting in Thakorn's son, Chantawit, being appointed as Deputy Minister of Commerce.
The flow of former Pheu Thai MPs from the Northeast to Palang Pracharath, regardless of their personal reasons, reflects the broader reality that Pheu Thai's momentum is faltering. The "Thaksin charm" truly appears to be losing its grip. - The Nation/ANN