Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who leads the so-called “Pheu Thai family”, tested positive for Covid-19 on Saturday after visiting former prime ministers Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra in Singapore. Thaksin is Paetongtarn’s father while Yingluck is her aunt. - The Nation Thailand/ANN
BANGKOK, June 5 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): Leading Thai politician Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s absence was not felt too much at the Pheu Thai event in Surin because her older brother Panthongtae was present.
Paetongtarn said in a Facebook post on Saturday that she had tested positive for Covid-19 after visiting her father Thaksin and aunt Yingluck in Singapore. The Shinawatra siblings, Thaksin and Yingluck, are former prime ministers living in self-exile.
Panthongtae, meanwhile, said he was meeting voters in Surin as a Pheu Thai member, not his sister’s representative.
He also vowed to attend more party activities in the future.
Sunday's (June 5) event was organised for farmers and innovation groups to air their problems as part of the party’s efforts to tackle poverty and other challenges in Surin.
Meanwhile, party leader Chonlanan Srikaew said he was sorry that Paetongtarn, dubbed the head of the so-called “Pheu Thai family”, could not attend the event.
However, he said, the party will focus on holding activities nationwide, especially in areas where competition for votes is high, to ensure Pheu Thai can capture enough hearts to win by a landslide.
He also said he was not worried about the seven Pheu Thai MPs who defied the party whip and voted for the budget bill on Friday. In fact, he said, the party will gain more support from this issue as those MPs will not be able to explain why they betrayed their party.
The party leader also expects Pheu Thai to re-establish its stronghold in Surin and regain all MP seats.
Separately, Democrat Party leader Jurin Laksanawisit said his party is also preparing for the next general election expected to be held in early 2023. He was in Phitsanulok to meet Democrat leaders in the lower North.
Jurin said the Democrat Party needed to start rebuilding its standing, adding that every member still adheres to the party’s ideology. - The Nation Thailand/ANN
