The Bhumjaithai Party aims to make inroads in Bangkok in Sunday's election after failing to win a seat in the last general election in 2019 despite fielding 28 candidates in a total of 30 constituencies.
The party says it has learnt from its last failure in the capital, which it said was due to not having a political stronghold there. To solve this, the party has invited former members of the Palang Pracharath Party, and others, led by Buddhipongse Punnakanta, the party's election director for Bangkok, to run in the general election campaign in Bangkok.
This time, the Bhumjaithai Party is fielding candidates in all 33 constituencies, including eight former representatives in Mr Buddhipongse's team -- five from Palang Pracharath Party, one from Pheu Thai and one from the Move Forward Party.
"At least, we should win the seats from eight former representatives," Mr Buddhipongse said. "We are now working hard to explain our policies to voters in Bangkok."
Mr Buddhipongse said the competition in the capital is very intense, with many political parties involved. But the party has done its best to win seats in the capital, he said, especially in tailoring policies suitable to each capital zone.
For example, he said the party is committed to improving the transportation system in the eastern part of Bangkok in response to the city's expansion. In the city's northern area, the party has a policy to improve public hospital services because currently, there's only Bhumibol Hospital to care for people living in Don Muang, Lak Si district and nearby.
"We have big hopes to get seats in Bangkok. That is why we have sent many high-profile 'young blood' candidates to gain strong support from Bangkokians," Mr Buddhipongse said.
In 2019, the Palang Pracharath Party gained the majority of seats in Bangkok, with 12 representatives, followed by nine representatives each for the Move Forward Party and the Pheu Thai Party.
Wanwichit Boonprong, a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science, Rangsit University, said Bangkok would see a strong contest between liberal and conservative groups. Among the conservatives is the new United Thai Nation Party, with Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha in its team, and the Democrat Party, which doesn't want to repeat its last poor election performance in the capital.
He said the outspoken former politician and ex-massage parlour tycoon Chuwit Kamolvisit had attacked the Bhumjaithai Party's cannabis policy.
Mr Boonprong said that if the party got just one seat in the capital, it would be considered a victory.
"It is a mid-sized party with most votes outside the capital. It needs to gain support from the capital to be the national party. But the candidates in Bangkok are weak and not powerful enough to win the seats," Mr Boonprong said.
"But the party has potential in some constituencies, such as in the Klong Toey district or the constituency belonging to the candidates who moved from the Pheu Thai Party," he said.
"I think the party might gain more votes for the party list," he said, adding that the party might get support from its public health policy.
Among the party's policies are premises to increase public hospitals in the capital to best deal with unexpected situations like the Covid-19 pandemic, in which disease control was rather difficult because most Bangkok hospitals are not under the control of the Ministry of Public Health.
The Bhumjaithai Party is also offering solar roofing to slum communities to help reduce energy costs. It is also offering a 100,000-baht life insurance policy to people over 60, with the after-death money being transferrable to their offspring.
