Puea Thai aims to win 20 seats from 29

The opposition Puea Thai party and its ally Pracharaj hope to win 20 seats out of 29 being contested in by-elections on Jan 11. Pongpan Sunthornchai, a Puea Thai MP for Nong Khai province, said the party was fielding candidates in 15 seats from 26 constituencies.

The party is working with Pracharaj leader Sanoh Thienthong, who will field candidates in constituencies where Puea Thai is not standing. Pracharaj will stand 14 candidates.

Mr Pongpan said Puea Thai and its ally hoped to win 20 seats, particularly in Buri Ram and Suphan Buri constituencies.

He insisted no Puea Thai MPs would be sent to help campaign for Pracharaj candidates as doing so would violate the constitution.

Puea Thai list-MP Chalerm Yubamrung has been appointed the party's campaign director who will work out strategy and help campaign for party candidates.

A campaign leader will work in each constituency, with the party's pitch for votes starting with a rally on Jan 3 in Udon Thani province.

The by-elections are being held to replace MPs disqualified by the Constitution Court for electoral fraud.

Meanwhile, Puea Thai will file a complaint with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) today, asking it to investigate Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's short text messages calling for support from the public last week.

Puea Thai MP for Chiang Mai Surapong Towijakchaikul said the anti-graft agency would be asked to look into alleged irregularities in the sending of the SMS message to mobile phone users nationwide.

The service was provided for Mr Abhisit by mobile phone operator True Move, a financial backer of the Democrat party.

Mr Surapong claimed to have obtained evidence to implicate Mr Abhisit in an alleged conflict of interest in the message send-out.