The datapoints for this claim lie in the other two major competing banners, Pheu Thai and the People's Party. Currently, 44 members of the People's Party have long or even life bans from contesting to represent the people. There is no reason why powerful political forces behind this pattern of subversion and manipulation would tolerate a government led by the People's Party. The first was the juggernaut Thai Rak Thai Party that won 248 of 500 seats in January 2001. Its ingenious and so-called "populist" policy platform and redistributive aims opened up the Thai political system by systematically empowering and connecting with poor people like no other parties had done before.

Source: Bangkok Post January 08, 2026 22:33 UTC