The Pheu Thai Party on Friday ramped up its election campaign in a last-ditch attempt to convince the nation it will be able to bring immediate change to the country after the May 14 vote if it is trusted by the electorate to form the new government.
Led by party secretary-general Prasert Chantararuangthong, the party called a press conference to unveil a fine-tuned, final election slogan encouraging the people to "Choose Pheu Thai, make it a landslide victory, and Thailand will change immediately".
"With polling just nine days away, the party's candidates will step up their visits to constituents in all parts of the country and make sure everyone is well informed about our policies," said Mr Prasert.
Online election campaigning via social media will also be accelerated in parallel to these door-to-door visits, he said. All three Pheu Thai prime ministerial candidates have changed their social media profile pictures in line with the adjusted election campaigning theme, he said.
"Pheu Thai has dedicated time researching and creating these 70 policies with a great determination to spare all Thai people from the pain that has existed for more than nine years," Mr Prasert said.
The 70 policies are designed to bring about changes to Thailand in seven areas, namely investment, digital economy, education and labour, transport, tourism, agriculture and equality, said deputy party secretary-general Paopoom Rojanasakul.
Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai, meanwhile, expressed his approval of Srettha Thavisin, one of the party's three prime ministerial candidates, saying Mr Srettha has proven himself as a career politician now.
The real estate businessman-turned-politician is the party's pride, said Mr Phumtham in a Facebook post.
Mr Srettha reminded him of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who also left his business legacy behind and volunteered to steer Thailand in the right direction, said Mr Phumtham.
"I strongly believe Mr Srettha will become a good leader who will pioneer change for the betterment of the country and its people," said Mr Phumtham.
In a new Facebook post of his own, Mr Srettha stressed the need for Thailand to keep competing in the global arena, saying every minute counts in the competition to make the country grow, and Thailand has lagged far behind many other nations during the past eight years.
"Is it time to change the player who has been leading Thailand for the past eight years and put him away?" asked Mr Srettha in the same post.
