Move Forward on track to win 32 of 33 seats in Bangkok
The Move Forward Party is likely to win all but one of the capital’s 33 seats, tallies of early votes at polling stations show.
According to unofficial counts reported by Thai PBS from polling stations at 8.13pm, Move Forward will win 32 of 33 seats in Bangkok, leaving only one seat for the Pheu Thai Party.
All other parties, including the Democrats and Palang Pracharath, will be wiped out.
In the previous election in March 2019, Palang Pracharath won 12 seats in Bangkok, while Future Forward (Move Forward’s predecessor) and Pheu Thai each won nine seats.
Bangkokians have tired of outgoing Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, who was a candidate for Palang Pracharath in the last election, pollsters say.
Move Forward’s appeal to Bangkok voters is its extensive reform policies that will rein in both business monopolies and military, pollsters say.
A clear indicator of Move Forward’s rising popularity was the enthusiasm generated at its final rally on Friday evening. More than 10,000 people packed the Thai-Japanese Youth Centre in Din Daeng district to listen to party leaders discuss their plans for Thailand's future.
Pheu Thai lost support for failing to declare it would not work with General Prayut or Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan as quickly and as adamantly as Move Forward did, political analysts say.
