Shinawatra has campaigned under the slogan of the “electoral wave” that she will need to seize power.

Her party needs 376 seats out of 500 in the National Assembly to counter the influence of 250 military-appointed senators. By contrast, her pro-war opponents only need 126 MPs to win a majority to elect a prime minister who is elected by both chambers.

Patongtarn Shinawatra is popular with his father, Thaksin Shinawatra, who served as Thailand’s prime minister from 2001 to 2006 and now lives in exile to avoid being convicted of corruption.

The charismatic personality of Thaksin, a billionaire adored by thousands of rural people in northern and northeastern Thailand who benefited from his social reforms, polarized the country’s political life between his supporters (the “Reds”) and his conservative opponents for 20 years. who support the army (“yellow”).

Both Thaksin and his sister Yingluck Shinawatra were removed from power in military coups in 2006 and 2014 respectively.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.