Bangkok: Olar points out that political parties are competing fiercely on policies, with the decisive factor being the strength of their constituency MPs. Associate Professor Dr. Olar Thinbangtiao, a lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science and Law, Burapha University, analyzed the overall political competition in the final stretch before the election on the "Share the News" program on MCOT NEWS FM 100.5. He stated that the Pheu Thai Party, the People's Party, and the Bhumjaithai Party are in a situation where popularity is extremely close, making it impossible to predict a clear winner. As a result, all parties are rushing to produce political products or special policies to gain an advantage and garner support during this period of peak public interest. In particular, the Pheu Thai Party is using short-term economic stimulus policies through cash handouts or lottery schemes to draw citizens and SMEs into the tax system and to create Big Data. This has been criticized as a strategy to garner votes while their popularity is catching up, as they avoid responding to sensitive issues.
According to Thai News Agency, the People's Party has strategized to win 270 to 300 parliamentary seats with the goal of forming a single-party government and reducing the need to negotiate policy with other parties. They will continue to rely on the campaigning efforts of Mr. Pita Limjaroenrat and Mr. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit to maintain their existing popularity. Meanwhile, the Bhumjaithai Party focuses on its strengths in stability and Thai-Cambodian relations, leveraging its significant advantage in constituency seats and the support of prominent political factions, which will be crucial in determining the final election outcome.
Associate Professor Dr. Olar's analysis concludes that when the overall popularity or momentum of each party reaches its limit, the real deciding factor will be the strength of the constituency MPs in attracting votes in their respective areas. Regarding criticisms of populist policies that use monetary incentives to encourage tax payments, Dr. Olar argues that this is not a sustainable approach and that a shift towards legal measures, cashless technology, or civic awareness campaigns would be more effective for long-term sustainability.