Three Democrat PM candidates unveil policies to lead Thailand out of poverty

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva on Monday appeared alongside the party’s two other prime ministerial candidates to outline key election policies, saying the platform would lift growth and help more Thais escape poverty.

Abhisit, the party’s No. 1 prime ministerial candidate, held a press conference with Korn Chatikavanij and Kandee Liaopyroj to present what the party described as its main campaign agenda.

Abhisit asked voters to give the Democrat Party a chance to run the country after the February 8 election, pledging that he and his two running mates would boost growth and raise incomes through 27 policies grouped into four main areas.

Democrat Party pitches 27-point platform ahead of election

Korn told the press conference that while the global economy had seen strong growth over the past 15 years, Thailand’s economy had rarely expanded at the same pace. He said the period contrasted sharply with conditions when the Democrat Party led the government in 2008.

Korn said the Democrat-led administration steered Thailand out of the “Hamburger” financial crisis, reversing economic performance from -2.3% to positive growth within a year. He added that the party also introduced welfare measures, including an old-age allowance.

Korn warns of slow growth, debt burdens and investor concerns

Korn said Thailand’s economy is now growing at about 2%, while the stock market has delivered among the weakest returns globally and both public and household debt have increased. He said Thailand has fallen behind Indonesia and Vietnam in growth, and that corruption concerns have eroded investor confidence.

Abhisit said unresolved problems over the past 15 years had left the country worse off.

‘Clean governance’ and transparency as the foundation for growth

“If we form the next government, we will pursue the goals of clean governance, a stronger economy and reduced inequality,” Abhisit said, stressing that no country can develop without a transparent system. He said corruption damages both the economy and society.

He added that if economic growth returned to the same level seen under a Democrat-led administration, it would generate more than 600 billion baht in additional income, putting more money in people’s pockets and giving the state sufficient fiscal space to drive policy.

ASEAN role and cross-border threats: scams, drugs and trafficking

Abhisit also said Thailand must take a more proactive role in ASEAN to tackle cross-border problems, including scam gangs, drugs, human trafficking and great-power rivalry. He reiterated the idea of “thinking beyond borders” to strengthen Thailand’s bargaining power.

State reform: ‘show the way, open the way, stop blocking the way’

On the role of the state, Abhisit said a Democrat government would focus on three actions: “show the way, open the way and stop blocking the way”. He said this would be pursued through clear and transparent policies, deregulation and the use of big data and technologies such as AI to crack down on corruption.

He said procurement information and asset declarations should be made public so citizens can scrutinise them.

Energy policy: cutting electricity bills without the state budget

On energy policy, Abhisit said a Democrat government could reduce electricity bills without using the state budget by expanding solar power, smart grids and low-cost competition, importing clean energy from neighbouring countries, and pursuing a “Made in Thailand First” policy.

Targets: faster growth, lower debt and better education

Abhisit said that if he, Korn and Kandee were to run the country, the economy would grow by at least 50%, household debt would fall, Thailand’s corruption perception ranking would improve, logistics and business costs would decline, capital markets would recover and education quality would improve—similar to what the party said it had achieved in the past.

Policies for workers, older people and families

For working-age people, Abhisit said the party would tackle inflation and reduce power bills, while exempting income tax on the first 40,000 baht of earnings.

For older people, he said the party would raise the allowance to 1,000 baht and provide 50,000 baht to renovate the homes of those aged 70 and above, alongside easier access to healthcare services.

Health, bioscience and space technology to anchor a ‘new economy’

Abhisit said the party would build on the health, bioscience and space-technology industries, link technology to agriculture, add value to products and position Thailand as an ASEAN hub.

He concluded that the party’s 27 policies covered every stage of hardship—“down to your heart, down to your mind and down to the end of the road”—and presented them as a New Year gift for 2026. He said the three candidates were “one team” and asked for public support.

Kandee: Thailand faces overlapping crises

Kandee said Thailand was facing multiple crises at once: a demographic shift marked by fewer births and a rapidly ageing society, the climate crisis, and a more polarised global economy shaped by tariff barriers and new technologies. She said these factors directly affect the cost of living, the baht and people’s economic opportunities.

She said creating “spaces of opportunity” must begin during pregnancy, with access to quality education and the ability to choose learning pathways suited to each person from birth through to employment, while recognising diversity and differing needs.

She proposed support for mothers’ savings during childcare, including 5,000 baht per month in the first year, totalling 65,000 baht.

For working-age people, she said the focus would be on stable income and stronger family security, with the state helping to cover the difference to cushion inflation, reduce electricity bills and exempt income tax on the first 40,000 baht earned.

The Democrat Party also said it had designed policies to drive a “new economy” by expanding existing industries—especially health and bioscience—while pushing space-technology growth in ASEAN, linking technology back to agriculture to add value to products and positioning Thailand as a regional economic intermediary, Kandee said.