Anti-graft fight heads Sudarat's poll bid

Says clean politics can lift GDP to 5%, writes Nattaya Chetchotiros

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Thai Sang Thai Party leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan underscores the need to stamp out corruption. THAI SANG THAI PARTY

Thai Sang Thai Party leader Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan has placed clean politics and an uncompromising anti-corruption agenda at the centre of her party's election campaign, positioning the small party as an alternative to Thailand's dominant political blocs.

"Thai Sang Thai is a small party. We have no deals and no collusion with the three major parties - the People's Party, Bhumjaithai and Pheu Thai," Khunying Sudarat said in an interview with the Bangkok Post.

"Our selling point is cracking down on corruption and using that recovered money to raise Thailand's GDP to 5% within one year."

Now 64, the veteran politician said this election differs from the 2023 contest, when politics was divided into two clear camps democratic versus authoritarian - creating shared objectives among rival parties. This time, each party is campaigning independently, with three large parties dominating the electoral landscape.

She identified the People's Party (PP) as the most popular, followed by Bhumjaithai (BJT) and Pheu Thai (PT), each with strong and loyal voter bases. The changed dynamics have altered post-election calculations and coalition prospects.

Khunying Sudarat believes the leading party may struggle to secure enough support to form the next government, opening the door for the BJT, ranked second, to take the initiative. She said campaign activity in the later phase suggests growing cordiality between the BJT and PT, noting a visible absence of political attacks between the two.