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Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha faces an uphill battle to
retain power in Sunday's general election, with opposition
parties including Pheu Thai and Move Forward surging in
popularity, according to opinion polls.
Thailand has about 52 million eligible voters, including 3.3
million aged 18 to 22 who can vote for the first time, with
pro-military, royalist conservatives and the populist opposition
vying for their endorsement.
The polls suggest that their ballots could end nearly a decade
of governments either led or backed by a military and
conservative forces.
On the back of a bright red car, Paetongtarn Shinawatra and
Srettha Thavisin - two prime ministerial candidates for Pheu
Thai - waved to onlookers.
"I would like to ask first time voters to choose Pheu Thai,"
Paetongtarn told reporters as she stepped off the vehicle. "We
have a 20 year history and we have had success."
Pheu Thai, which is leading opinion polls, is backed by the
billionaire Shinawatra family, whose parties have won elections
since 2001 on populist platforms. Its governments have been
ousted through military coups or judicial rulings.
Another opposition party, the youth-driven and progressive Move
Forward, is seeing a late boost in popularity.
"Sleep early tonight and wake up early to vote for Move
Forward," its prime ministerial pick Pita Limjaroenrat said
through a loudspeaker from a truck.
Across town, a truck carrying members of Prayuth's United Thai
Nation party stopped occasionally as supporters took selfies and
gave flowers.
In a rally on Friday, Prayuth exhorted voters to back him,
instead of opposition groups that have promised change.
"We do not want change that will overturn the country," he told
supporters. "Do you know what kind of damage it would do? We
cannot suddenly change all at once because we don't know what
lies on the side."
Under election rules, parties have to stop campaigning at 6 p.m.
on Saturday.
(Editing by Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
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