Democrats campaign in South, remind voters of past achievements

The Democrats were campaigning at Sanam Na Muang Public Park in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Muang district on Tuesday. The campaign was led by the party’s politics taskforce chief Watanya “Madam Dear” Bunnag, former leader Banyat Bantadtan, and deputy leader Nipon Bunyamanee.

Watanya urged locals to vote for Democrat MP candidates in all 10 constituencies to show that Southerners cannot be bought.

She pointed out that throughout the years, Nakhon Si Thammarat locals have stuck with Democrat Party despite “a certain party” announcing that it would provide development funding for the provinces that voted for them.

Thaksin Shinawatra’s government in the past threatened to make budgetary provisions only to provinces that elected Thai Rak Thai Party’s MPs.

“For 77 years, Democrat Party has always been by the side of Southerners through both good and bad times,” said Watanya. “The party is not owned by any capitalist. We were born from the people and will serve only the people.”

She also pointed out that one of the MP candidates for this election, Chinnaworn Boonyakiat, is the nine-time MP for Nakhon Si Thammarat, and served as Education Minister in the Abhisit administration when the government successfully enacted free education up to 15 years of age for all Thais.

“We have loyal MPs who always believe in the party’s ideology, unlike those MPs who sold their bodies and souls by moving to other parties,” she said.

Nakhon Si Thammarat is the most populous province in the South. The region is the former base of the once-formidable Democrats – Thailand’s oldest political party.

It is fighting to regain its leading position in the South after being wiped out in Bangkok – its second former stronghold – in the 2019 election.