Move Forward Party set to announce PPAO presidential candidate

Pita Limjaroenrat, a key figure in Thai politics, is poised to make an important announcement in Phuket this weekend. The Move Forward Party (MFP), under his leadership on Saturday, February 24, will be introducing its presidential candidate for the upcoming Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) election.

Pita’s arrival in Phuket was confirmed via a Facebook post by Chalermpong Saengdee, a fellow member of the MFP, who was elected to represent Phuket Constituency 2 in the General Election last year. Constituency 2 includes several key areas such as Wichit, Chalong, Rawai, Karon, Patong, and Kamala, reported The Phuket News.

In the 2023 General Election, the MFP clinched all three available MP seats in Phuket. Somchart Techathavorncharoen took the Constituency 1 seat, representing areas including Phuket Town, Koh Kaew, and Ratsada. The third seat, Constituency 3, was won by Thitikan Thitipruethikul, representing Thalang District and Kathu subdistrict.

Despite the anticipation, the MFP has remained tight-lipped about the identity of their presidential candidate for the PPAO election. However, Pita confirmed in a recently posted online video that he would be in Phuket this Saturday to make the official announcement.

In a series of posts, Chalermpong expressed his vision for Phuket’s future. He called for unity and collective effort to bring about significant change in the lives of Phuket’s residents.

“Phuket must be better than before. Let’s join together to put together the final piece of the jigsaw that will change the lives of Phuket people.”

The announcement by Pita and the three MFP MPs will take place at Sri Phuwannarat Park in Wichit on Saturday, from 10 am to midday.

The current PPAO President, Rewat Areerob, a long-time Phuket MP representing the Democrat Party, was elected amidst the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. During his tenure, Rewat has been credited with pushing for local development projects, many of which have been aimed at supporting the income of residents amid the economic impact of the pandemic on the tourism industry.

As Rewat’s term nears its end later this year, the Election Commission of Thailand’s Phuket office has yet to announce the date for the next PPAO election.