Confirmation of Mr Pita’s arrival came late yesterday through a post on the official Facebook page of Chalermpong Saengdee, who as a Move Forward Party candidate won Phuket Constituency 2 in the national election last year. Constituency 2 comprises Wichit, Chalong, Rawai, Karon, Patong and Kamala.
Move Forward won all three Phuket MP seats available in the 2023 national election, with Somchart Techathavorncharoen winning Constituency 1, which comprises Phuket Town (Talad Yai and Talad Neua subdistricts), Koh Kaew and Ratsada; and Thitikan Thitipruethikul winning Constituency 3, which comprises all of Thalang District along with Kathu subdistrict.
No further details or clues have been leaked by Move Forward about who their candidate for president will be in the next PPAO election, despite Mr Pita himself confirming in a video posted online that he will be in Phuket on Saturday to make the announcement.
“Going forward, Phuket must be better than before,” said one of the posts by Mr Chalermpong. “The mission isn’t over yet! Let’s join together to put together the final piece of the jigsaw that will change the lives of Phuket people,” said another.
Mr Pita, who serves as Chairman and Advisor to the Party Leader of the Move Forward Party, and Phuket’s three Move Forward MPs will be at Sri Phuwannarat Park, located along Pattana Thongthin Rd in Wichit (click here), on Saturday, from 10 am to midday.
Current PPAO President Rewat Areerob, a former long-serving former Phuket MP serving the Democrat Party, was elected on Dec 20, 2020 in an election held under COVID-19 precautions.
Mr Rewat has gained a positive reputation during his time as PPAO President. A very visible public figure, he also has become known for pushing many local development projects forward, many of which focussed on Phuket people earning incomes as COVID-19 measures battered the island’s tourism economy.
Although Mr Rewat’s term will be drawing to a close by the end of this year, the Phuket office of the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT Phuket) has yet to announce when the next PPAO election will be held.