Pheu Thai Party’s prime ministerial candidate, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, on Wednesday tried to play down remarks by her father, former prime minister Thaksin, that he is yearning to end his self-exile and return to be his family in Thailand.
“Didn’t he say that he wants to come back to help look after his grandchildren and not to become prime minister?” said Paetongtarn at a news conference, two days after giving birth to her second child.
Speaking with her husband, Pidok Sooksawas by her side, Paetongtarn said Thaksin was very excited with his latest grandchild and wants to be back in Thailand to spend time with the family.
On Monday, Thaksin said in a tweet that he “is seeking permission” to return to Thailand to help look after his grandchildren. This wasn’t the first time that the 74-year-old former leader said from his self-exile in Dubai that he planned to come home.
Paetongtarn dismissed speculation that Thaksin was trying to shore up support for Pheu Thai Party with his latest message. “The issue of my dad’s return has nothing to do with Pheu Thai Party,” she said.
While repeating her call for a landslide victory for Pheu Thai in the upcoming election, Paetongtarn declined to comment on opinion polls showing how Move Forward Party has been catching up with her party.
She also reiterated that Pheu Thai will not coalesce with political parties associated with military dictatorship.
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