Suttasitt 'Macky' Pottasak is a typical candidate of Thailand's People's Party: young, idealistic and hardworking. He gave up a career in TV drama production in Bangkok to run in the last election, winning a rural seat near his hometown of Nakhon Ratchasima from an established political family. Macky employs quirky techniques to engage voters, such as adopting the hat and flag of Luffy, the main character from the anime series One Piece, leveraging social media to communicate the party's policies to millions.
Politics is something past generations made boring. I want to make it fun, he states, emphasizing the party's grassroots origins and determination to address long-standing problems regardless of their limited financial resources.
Recent polling suggests significant public support for the People's Party, which now leads the political landscape as the upcoming election approaches. However, historical patterns suggest winning the vote may not be enough.
The previous election saw the progressive Move Forward party achieve unexpected victories; yet, they were thwarted by powerful conservative forces, leading to the party's dissolution and a stark warning for the current progressive wave. This time around, reformists, including the People's Party, aim to disrupt the political dynamic again. They promise foundational changes, targeting the military's influence, amending the lese majeste law, and seeking to streamline governmental structure.
Despite the momentum, there's skepticism regarding potential obstacles from entrenched conservative entities already manifesting through legal threats against the party's leaders and candidates. As they prepare for the election, many expect legislators to maneuver political decisions against change.
They are afraid of change. They want tomorrow to be just like yesterday, Pottasak remarked, highlighting the challenges ahead for proponents of reform.
Politics is something past generations made boring. I want to make it fun, he states, emphasizing the party's grassroots origins and determination to address long-standing problems regardless of their limited financial resources.
Recent polling suggests significant public support for the People's Party, which now leads the political landscape as the upcoming election approaches. However, historical patterns suggest winning the vote may not be enough.
The previous election saw the progressive Move Forward party achieve unexpected victories; yet, they were thwarted by powerful conservative forces, leading to the party's dissolution and a stark warning for the current progressive wave. This time around, reformists, including the People's Party, aim to disrupt the political dynamic again. They promise foundational changes, targeting the military's influence, amending the lese majeste law, and seeking to streamline governmental structure.
Despite the momentum, there's skepticism regarding potential obstacles from entrenched conservative entities already manifesting through legal threats against the party's leaders and candidates. As they prepare for the election, many expect legislators to maneuver political decisions against change.
They are afraid of change. They want tomorrow to be just like yesterday, Pottasak remarked, highlighting the challenges ahead for proponents of reform.
