Los angeles: "Pita" kicked off his US tour in Los Angeles, urging Thais abroad to exercise their right to vote in elections and referendums, and supporting the People's Party's policies to create a system that harnesses the talents of Thais worldwide to contribute to national development.
According to Thai News Agency, on January 8, 2026, at 3:00 PM local time in California, USA (15 hours behind Thailand), Pita Limjaroenrat, former leader of the Move Forward Party, held the Pita US Tour at the Thai Temple in Los Angeles. The event served as a platform for Thais in the United States to discuss the future of Thailand and public participation in politics. The atmosphere was lively, with many people in attendance. Kulthida Rungruangkiat, former MP from the Future Forward Party, also participated in the discussion.
Mr. Pita stated that, based on recent conversations with Thais living abroad in various cities, many have expressed reluctance to return to Thailand for fear of not being able to find work they desire. Therefore, he urged voters to consider what Thais living abroad will gain from participating in this election. He explained that if they elect a government that cares for Thais not only within the country but also around the world, how will the lives of Thais living abroad improve?
We must acknowledge that Thailand is not yet attractive enough to encourage Thais to return. Our domestic systems have problems. Therefore, one option the next government must consider is how to harness the potential of Thais living far from home to contribute to national development. For example, Thais in the Bay Area of California working in high-tech industries, or Thais in New York working in the high-touch industries.
Therefore, I support the People's Party's policy to create a "Brainpower Platform" (Thai Global Talent and Ideas) as a channel to gather ideas from Thais around the world who have expertise in various issues, connecting proposals directly to government agencies, similar to what Estonia has in terms of a Talent Pool. This also includes establishing an agency to comprehensively care for the lives of Thais abroad, linking digital identity verification systems, reducing travel procedures and redundant paperwork, developing a convenient and transparent overseas voting system, and establishing an emergency assistance system (Thai SOS) that centralizes incident reporting and tracking of assistance in one place.
Thai people in Los Angeles have questions about the three referendum processes and the possibility of a new constitution. Pita stated that if we can encourage Thais living abroad to exercise their right to vote and participate in the referendums, resulting in a good government and opening the door to constitutional amendments, it's possible that in two terms or eight years, with cleaner air, convenient public transportation, and an ecosystem that empowers people to reach their full potential, many Thais living abroad might be ready to return to Thailand, bringing their knowledge from overseas to contribute to national development. This is why we must awaken the giant, ignite the power of Thais living abroad, and encourage everyone to participate in this election as much as possible.