Global Courant 2023-05-16 19:08:00
BANGKOK – A 30-minute drive from central Bangkok is the heart of Thailand’s newest orange obsession.
A seven-story building, at the entrance of a narrow residential street, houses the Move Forward Party. With no big sign or even the signature orange logo on the front, there’s little evidence that this is where the party’s stunning victory in Sunday’s election was conceived through many hours of planning.
The biggest winner, Move Forward, claimed 151 of the 500 seats up for grabs in the House of Commons of Parliament, according to unofficial counts by the Election Commission.
If official results and ongoing talks to form a coalition government support this mandate, this seven-storey building will likely be home to Thailand’s main ruling party.
“I still can’t believe the results,” said Ms. Supapan Palangsak, 52, who manages the store that sells Move Forward merchandise in the building. “We were all here celebrating that night.”
The party’s reformist policies, which call for ending military conscription, legalizing same-sex marriage and amending the royal libel law, are often seen as too radical for mainstream Thai politics.
But after winning the bulk of the vote, the Thai people’s desire for change is clear, analysts said.
On Tuesday morning, reporters camped out in the lobby of Move Forward headquarters, with cameras and microphones set up for potential interviews and press conferences, or to record any development in ongoing negotiations to form the next government.
Leader Pita Limjaroenrat, 42, and other party executives are trying to put together a coalition of 309 MPs from six non-military-affiliated parties, including the Thaksin Shinawatra-affiliated Pheu Thai party.
With red-brick walls and New York loft-style decor, the building is a prime destination for meetings, press conferences and—as evidenced by the well-stocked bar in the second-floor café—party celebrations.
Like a typical start-up, the meeting rooms and offices are named and the theme chosen speaks volumes about the party’s message and policies.
