Movement Party pushes practicality

Leader Kannavee Suebsang outlines key policy priorities, writes Poramet Tangsathaporn

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Kannavee: A practitioner, not a career politician.PHONLAWAT PARTY

Kannavee Suebsang, the former secretary-general of the Fair Party, has returned to politics as the leader of the newly-formed Movement Party (Phonlawat Party), presenting himself as a practitioner rather than a career politician and pledging to build a comprehensive safety net while protecting the rights of all Thais.

Despite leading a small, newly established party, Mr Kannavee said his decision to reenter politics reflects concern that Thailand's overlapping social, economic and security crises can no longer be addressed through fragmented policies or short-term fixes.

In an exclusive interview with the Bangkok Post, he outlined the party's vision, key policy priorities, human rights agenda and expectations ahead of the upcoming general election.

Mr Kannavee described the Movement Party as a "party of practitioners" guided by the principles of social democracy and focused on solving real-world problems.

Central to its platform, he said, is the creation of social safety nets and rights-based protections that treat welfare as an entitlement rather than charity.

His outlook is shaped by eight years as an intergovernmental humanitarian practitioner with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, where he worked on cross-border crises and international cooperation.

"To create change, it is necessary to be part of the administrative system," Mr Kannavee said. "Not because we crave power, but because we crave to deliver."

Mr Kannavee argued that many of Thailand's challenges originate beyond its borders, citing transnational crime, online scams, human trafficking, money laundering and border tensions with Cambodia.