Puea Chat candidates upset, not reimbursed as promised

Puea Chat candidates upset, not reimbursed as promised

Puea Chat Party leader Songkhram Kitlertpairote, second left, announces his party's major policies, including its plan to bring former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra back to Thailand, at a media conference in Bangkok mid last month. (Photo supplied)
Puea Chat Party leader Songkhram Kitlertpairote, second left, announces his party's major policies, including its plan to bring former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra back to Thailand, at a media conference in Bangkok mid last month. (Photo supplied)

A group of candidates who stood in constituencies under the Puea Chat banner are demanding the party reimburse them for their campaign costs, which they say they were promised but have not received.

Panasan Sunanta, who ran for constituency 2 in Sukhothai province, said on Monday that about 10 candidates would demand an explanation from the party's executives at its headquarters at Imperial department store on Lat Phrao Road, Bangkok, on Wednesday.

He said that in the lead-up to the March 24 general election party executives had told constituency candidates to launch full-scale campaigns, and promised the party would later reimburse them for the cost.

Consequently many candidates had spent six and even seven-digit sums electioneering.

"Today these constituency candidates are in trouble. We did our best during campaigning, but when we sought financial support we did not receive any answers," Mr Panasan said.

"It is like we were lured into campaigning for votes. Finally, party-list candidates got enough votes and become MPs effortlessly, but constituency candidates who did all the work are left in debt."

The unhappy candidates were mainly from the Central Plains and lower North.

"Unless there is a clear answer we will take legal action," Mr Panasan said.

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