Khon Kaen has experienced both pros and cons from the rule of the current junta government even though the province is among the key red-shirt bastions of the Northeast.
Although some critics are certain the Pheu Thai Party will still claim a landslide victory in the northeastern province at the next general election due to the military's failure to address certain regional issues during its four-year administration, it is believed that there are still a number of locals who have kept faith in the government.
Jatuporn Chareonchua, a former Pheu Thai MP for Khon Kaen, said despite the military's efforts to reach out to northeastern people, he believes Khon Kaen residents' support for the party remains unchanged and his team is looking forward to the upcoming election.
"What makes locals still have confidence in the Pheu Thai Party is that they know they can count on us. Locals will vote for those who they believe speak on their behalf and with whom they are not afraid to share their opinions, both positive and negative.
"Therefore, I believe the party will win a landslide victory in every district in Khon Kaen [in the next general election]," Mr Jatuporn said.
Since the May 2014 coup, the Pheu Thai Party has seen no decline in its popularity in Khon Kaen, a firm red-shirt stronghold, despite the military government attempting to win the hearts and minds of people in the region.
These efforts have been mirrored in several other areas in the Northeast, with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, also head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), having undertaken a cross-country tour of 18 provinces in a bid to court support.
These visits are happening between this month and June, and include a stopover in Khon Kaen.
A number of populist projects are being announced along the way, and the government is pushing its Thai Niyom Yangyuen (Thai-ism) scheme which aims to make state agencies and local scholars collaborate in a bid to lift people's living standards in line with the goals set by the government's 20-year national strategy.
Patiwat Chalermchart, 44, a Khon Kaen resident who has worked for a health security non-profit organisation, voiced his opinion, saying the political situation in his hometown has not changed much as residents are still waiting for the election.
Locals want to have an election as soon as possible and most still have confidence in the Pheu Thai Party, he said.
They are highly likely to vote for whoever runs on behalf of Pheu Thai as, in their view, the military government has failed to solve their problems, he said.
Mr Patiwat gave the government's attempts to amend the Universal Healthcare Coverage (UC) scheme, called the "gold card", initiated by Thaksin Shinawatra's government around 15 years ago, as an example of this.
Card-holding residents are afraid that changes will diminish their benefits and they will be left facing more expensive medical bills.
Kulkhanit Srisopha, 40, of Khon Kaen, said the current government had failed Thais and had failed to address problems complained of by the public.
Additionally, local vendors were finding it more difficult to run their businesses profitably due to the downturn in the economy, she said.
It seems that people now believe there would be a better chance of a democratically elected government paying heed to their problems, she added.
Despite heavy criticism over its administration, Phobphon Kasemsan, president of the Khon Kaen Tourism Business Association, on the contrary, said several schemes launched by the Prayut Chan-o-cha government have gained positive feedback from residents in the Northeast.
Among these schemes is the welfare subsidy scheme which provides a welfare card for low-income earners.
Mr Phobphon said northeastern residents had flocked to register as they can use the allowance on the cards to purchase consumer goods from local stores taking part in the project.
He added that transport projects in the region had also received strong local backing.
Among these projects are the first and second sections of dual-track railway lines from Khon Kaen to Nakhon Ratchasima and Nong Khai as well as the construction of a motorway linking Ban Pa-in in Ayutthaya to Nakhon Ratchasima.
Aside from the railway projects, Mr Phobphon said the government had also allocated budget for the maintenance of several local airports across the country, which would help boost national and local tourism.
Mr Phobphon, however, said there were still flaws in several state projects such as the Pracharat model which had not been as widely taken up by the public as expected.
The Pracharat model involves the people, the government and businesses all working together to pursue sustainable development and provide to help farmers, workers and communities secure their livelihoods.