Pheu Thai chief strategist Sudarat Keyuraphan expects voters to again back the party to victory in the by-election in Khon Kaen to replace the party's former MP, who was convicted of murder.
Khunying Sudarat said on Thursday the Pheu Thai executive was confident of retaining the now vacant seat in constituency 7 of the northeastern province.
"The party will not let the seat slip through its fingers and go to our rival," she said, in clear reference to the nemesis coalition led by the Palang Pracharat Party.
Nawat Tohcharoensuk won the seat at the March 24 general election, but was later convicted and sentenced to death for masterminding the murder of Suchart Khotethum, an assistant chief of the Khon Kaen provincial administration organisation, in 2013. He is in Bangkok prison.
The Constitutional Court said on Wednesday that his MP status was voided on Oct 16, the day the court ordered him to cease his duties, even though he had been in prison since the provincial court sentenced him on Sept 24.
Khunying Sudarat said Pheu Thai has possible candidates in mind for the by-election, and expects to make a decision this weekend..
The by-election date has not been set.