Electioneering: Thaksin’s daughter vows to end poverty in Thailand

Tis the season to be… electioneering in Thailand, it seems. Only yesterday Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha announced plans to stay on as Thailand’s PM for another two years before grooming a successor. Today, the youngest daughter of the Shinawatra clan, Paetongtarn, declared a vote for her Pheu Thai would eradicate poverty in Thailand.

The daughter of former Thai PM, Thaksin Shinawatra, was rather bullish at a Pheu Thai party general assembly meeting in Bangkok yesterday, reported Morning Star.

The 36 year old promised a new era of social equality and an end to poverty in the kingdom if the people vote her party into power.

Paetongtarn assured the Thai electorate they would see a radical departure from the current administration of General Prayut.

“The next four years will be the years that our country will bounce back and regain our dignity and pride. To think big and act smart will help rebuild our country and improve the livelihood of Thai people — as if it’s a miracle. Only political stability will help us.”

Paetongtarn vowed to double the daily minimum wage, expand the nation’s healthcare coverage and reduce transport fares.

“All we have to do is to work together to change the country’s leadership.”

The Pheu Thai party hasn’t officially announced a candidate for prime minister but Paetongtarn came out on top of a NIDA poll in June.

The NIDA survey, conducted among 2,500 people of various ages, occupations and education levels, asked respondents “who do you favour for Thailand’s next prime minister?”

Some 25.3% favoured Paetongtarn. In second place was No One, as respondents didn’t think there were any suitable candidates, with 18.7% of the vote while 11.7% were happy with the current PM.

Thaksin’s youngest daughter is very close to her exiled father and meets him regularly in Dubai where he now lives.

It has been reported that Thaksin is open to making a return to frontline politics. In June, the former PM, under his alias Tony Woodsome, said he would return to Thailand in his Tuesday night ClubHouse chat.

“I’ll come back for sure. I’ll definitely come back.”

Paetongtarn is one of several members of the family to become involved in Thai politics.

Thaksin’s brother-in-law, Somchai Wongsawat, served as prime minister in 2008 and his youngest sister, Yingluck, held the office from 2011 to 2014, before her government was ousted in the coup that brought Prayut to the thrown.