Pheu Thai's alleged de facto leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, will be in Chiang Rai on Sunday to help its candidate seek votes for the Provincial Administrative Organisation (PAO) election.
According to media sources, Thaksin is planning a one-day trip to Chiang Rai province to campaign for Salakjit Tiyapairat, a former Chiang Rai PAO chief and the wife of Yongyuth Tiyapairat, a former House Speaker and a close political ally of Thaksin in the North. She is also the mother of Piyarat Tiyapairat, a Pheu Thai MP for Chiang Rai province.
Ms Salakjit's campaign had proposed that Thaksin take the stage in Thoeng, Mae Chan and Chiang Khong districts. Meanwhile, Mr Yongyuth's team has been coordinating with Thaksin. The final schedule will soon be confirmed.
In the PAO election, which will take place on Feb 1, Ms Sulakjit is competing against Atitatorn Wanchaithanawong, also a former Chiang Rai PAO chief. Ms Atitatorn is running as an independent.
Despite Ms Atitatorn's independent status, she is perceived to have the support of the "blue network", linked to the Wanchaithanawong family.
In the 2023 general election, Rangsan Wanchaithanawong, a former MP from Chiang Rai and a native of Thoeng district, abandoned the Pheu Thai Party to join the Bhumjaithai Party.
This angered Thaksin and Pheu Thai, leading the party to push Terdchart Chaipong, ex-director of the Chiang Rai Educational Service Area Office, a political newcomer, to run against Mr Rangsan and defeat him.
Currently, Mr Rangsan serves as deputy secretary to Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs Anutin Charnvirakul, the leader of Bhumjaithai.
In the 2020 Chiang Rai PAO election, Pheu Thai officially backed Wisaradee Techatheerawat, who lost to Ms Atitatorn, despite Thaksin sending a letter from abroad to support Ms Wisaradee.
Thaksin was in self-imposed exile overseas at the time.
Similarly, in the 2023 Chiang Rai general election, Pheu Thai, which had historically dominated all seven constituencies, won only four seats. The remaining three went to the Move Forward Party.
