Post by : Meena Ariff

Thai lawmaker Phumin Leethiraprasert has switched political parties as he prepares for the February 8 elections, aiming to show voters he is serious about addressing the recent violent border clashes with Cambodia.

Phumin, 62, left the influential Pheu Thai party, which has long held sway in Thailand’s northeastern region, citing frustration over how the party handled the border conflict. The fighting has been the worst in decades, resulting in 149 deaths and displacing hundreds of thousands of people from border towns like Kantharalak.

Under pressure from his constituents, who demanded a tougher stance, Phumin is now running under the Kla Tham Party banner, an ally of the ruling Bhumjaithai party. The shift comes after the political fallout from the border crisis led to the removal of former Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Border communities remain tense after two rounds of fighting in July and December that killed 19 Thai citizens and forced mass evacuations. Many locals support plans for a border wall along the 817-kilometer frontier, though construction has yet to begin.

“We must make them afraid. We have been too soft,” said Uthai, a villager from Sam Meng near the border.

In December, Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul dissolved parliament after less than 100 days in office, setting the stage for snap elections that are widely seen as a move to harness rising nationalist sentiment.

Anutin’s Bhumjaithai party has strongly backed the military and the border wall project, a stance echoed by other conservative, pro-army parties. This nationalist push has pressured opposition parties like the People’s Party and Pheu Thai to soften their positions and avoid appearing unpatriotic.

The People’s Party, which leads in opinion polls, now emphasizes diplomatic efforts to stabilize relations with Cambodia, while Pheu Thai works hard to prove its commitment to defending Thailand’s sovereignty despite past ties with Cambodia’s former premier.

Samrong Narasa, who lost her home to Cambodian shelling, reflects the complicated feelings of many border residents. “We can live alongside them, but we don’t want to be friends,” she said, urging the government to do more to protect people and livelihoods in the region.

#Global News #Thailand News