PT's Yodchanan defends choice to ditch academia for politicsListen to this articleYodchanan Wongsawat, one of the Pheu Thai Party's prime ministerial candidates, has defended his decision to quit academia for politics. He was visiting Mahidol University's Salaya campus on Sunday, where he reaffirmed the party's stance against grey businesses and online scam operations. Mr Yodchanan, former vice president for research at Mahidol University, also presented his vision on "Education policy, advancing research, and Thai innovation" at the event. During a question-and-answer session, he addressed concerns about a casino-entertainment complex policy supported by Pheu Thai, saying the industry is fundamentally different from online gambling. "Pheu Thai is firmly against corruption, grey businesses and illegal gambling,'' he said, saying it is unfair to him that people often associate him with casinos.

Source: Bangkok Post January 19, 2026 00:58 UTC