Coalition parties will have to combine their election pledges into a collective government policy manifesto to ensure they can deliver the goods and reap the public goodwill that might stand them in good stead whenever the next poll comes round, academics have said.
However, political analysts have also warned that the "populist'' policies pushed by parties in the coalition will impose a burden on the state budget, leading to higher taxes to fill state coffers.
Virot Ali, a political scientist at Thammasat University, said it is necessary for coalition partners to discuss how to fine-tune and blend their respective policies together.
But he believed the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP), which is at the core of the coalition, wants to take sole control of economic and financial management through the Finance Ministry to push its key policies, such as the welfare smart card scheme for low-income earners.
Somkid Jatusripitak is expected to stay on as deputy prime minister in charge of economic affairs, Mr Virot said.
Some of the PPRP's policies, such as the child allowance of 2,000 baht from birth to six years old are similar to those of other coalition parties, such as the Democrat Party's monthly child allowance of 1,000 baht from birth to eight years old.
The Democrats are expected to be given control of the Social Development and Human Security Ministry which oversees these policies.
In light of this, the PPRP and the Democrats must sit down for talks and find ways to tweak their policies to achieve a harmonious blend, Mr Virot said.
He said that it is normal for coalition parties to jostle for their election pledges to be implemented, but it is essential for the PPRP to control the Finance Ministry which plays a central role in handling the economy and financial affairs.
This is because if a policy from a coalition party later backfires, the PPRP still can use the fiscal mechanisms at its disposal to curb any potential damage, Mr Virot said, before adding the PPRP will still be in the driving seat in terms of policy implementation.
"Palang Pracharath and Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha need to be sure the policies pushed by coalition partners deliver positive results which will improve the government's public image. They should be thinking about the next election,'' Mr Virot said.
He added it is likely that the multi-party coalition government will be plagued with quarrels, and it will be a challenge for Gen Prayut to manage conflicts between the various members.
"Still, a cabinet reshuffle will remain a potent weapon for Gen Prayut to ensure coalition parties toe the line," Mr Virot said.
The prime minister could assess cabinet ministers' performances every five or six months under threat of a reshuffle, Mr Virot said, adding that if Gen Prayut and ministers from the PPRP fare better than coalition partners, this will increase their bargaining power in negotiations over a reallocation of cabinet seats.
Yutthaporn Isarachai, a political scientist from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, agreed the government may be short-lived. Therefore, each coalition party must come up with populist projects to expand its support base.
After eight years in the political wilderness, the Democrat Party is now back in government and it is determined to push for its flagship election promises, such as the income guarantees for farmers, to be implemented successfully, Mr Yutthaporn said.
The Bhumjaithai Party, another coalition party, wants to push its much-touted policy on liberalising the use of cannabis for medical purposes, whereas the Chartthaipattana Party must find ways to win over more voters in the next poll after gaining only 10 House seats in the March 24 election, Mr Yutthaporn said.
He added the PPRP must shake off its image as a vehicle for Gen Prayut's return as premier and transform itself into a political institution with a long-term strategy.
Mr Yutthaporn said several policies proposed by coalition parties require huge budget spending, adding there have been reports the Finance Ministry will allocate a sum of 50 billion baht from a reserve budget for emergency purposes to implement election promises.
Narong Phetprasert, dean of Rangsit University's Institute of Economics, described coalition parties' campaign promises as "populist policies'' which were designed purely for political gain.
They require massive budgets, which in turn will become a burden on the people, especially the middle class and those on the lower rung of the social ladder who will be subjected to more taxes to offset this huge government spending, according to Mr Narong.
Satithorn Thananitichote, director of the Office of Innovation for Democracy under King Prajadhipok's Institute, agreed the coalition government will pursue the populist policies of its members, but suggested there were similarities between many of the election pledges.
He said if some of these policies deliver results that please voters, a number of the coalition parties may scramble to claim credit for the success to boost their prospects of winning in the next poll, which in turn could create rifts in the government.
Varawut Silpa-archa, Chartthaipattana Party's head of the party's strategic and policy committee, said he was looking forward to a meeting of all the coalition partners to discuss the allocation of responsibilities.
His party is expected to be in charge of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry. However, he is happy to share his party's ideas for the government to implement through whichever party runs the ministry.
"I am confident that now we have elected politicians, they will work more closely with the people. I don't care who claims the work of Chartthaipattana, we have done our best for the people. Whoever wants the credit, please take it, I know what I am doing," he said.
With 51 MP seats in hand, the Bhumjaithai Party has a good chance of getting its hands on the "Grade A Ministries" it wants, including public health and transport ministries.
It is expected to push full force for the liberalisation of cannabis use and legalisation of ride-hailing services like Grab Taxi.
PPRP leader Uttama Savanayana said policies from government coalition parties would be integrated.
"We will ask the coalition parties to present their policies for consideration so we can consider the big picture. We will focus on those that can be implemented, and we will attempt to push them through right away so they can benefit the people," he said.
Meanwhile, he vowed to prove that his party's policies are practical and tangible within one year.
"The welfare policies, as well as improvement to the tax and credit systems, must help reduce the socio-economic gaps in our society," he said.