The political spotlight will on Monday be on the Democrat Party, which is expected to name Suchatvee Suwansawat as its candidate to contest the Bangkok gubernatorial election next year.
All signs are pointing to the party's nomination of Mr Suchatvee, whose resignation as rector of King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang takes effect on Monday and coincides with the party's executive board meeting to select the candidate.
The nomination of the 49-year-old academic will set the stage for the much-anticipated governor race, the country's first since 2013, and potentially give the country's oldest political camp a chance of staging a comeback, according to political analysts.
The party suffered one of its major setbacks in the 2019 general election, not winning a single House seat in Bangkok. Several heavyweights have parted ways with it since.
Phichai Ratnatilaka Na Bhuket, lecturer at the National Institute of Development Administration (Nida), told the Bangkok Post that the political union between the academic and the Democrat Party is a win-win for both. He said Mr Suchatvee, despite being widely recognised, needs the party's support base in Bangkok to challenge former transport minister Chadchart Sittipunt, who emerges as a strong favourite winning in every popularity survey.
Democrat candidates Apirak Kosayodhin and MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra won the previous gubernatorial contests on the party's ticket.
The party can tap into Mr Suchatvee's freshness to bolster its image and increase its chance of claiming victory, said Mr Phichai.
However, he doubted Mr Suchatvee can catch up with Mr Chadchart, who has been campaigning for almost two years and is deemed to have built himself a broader base of support.
"Mr Suchatvee could give the Democrat Party a shot even though they have a lot to cover because Mr Chadchart has been wooing supporters for some time and can bank on supporters of the Pheu Thai Party [which has yet to announce its candidate]," he said.
In a survey this month by Nida Poll, Mr Chadchart received 34.3% support, leaving in his wake Mr Suchatvee and another potential candidate from the Democrat Party who polled 4.8% and 3% support, respectively.
Stithorn Thananithichot, director of the Office of Innovation for Democracy at King Prajadhipok's Institute, said Mr Suchatvee's planned political debut with the Democrat Party keeps its supporters' hopes up.
However, he said it is too early to predict the outcome when the ruling-Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and the Move Forward Party have yet to enter the fray.
If all core parties take part, the city race is likely to become a battleground, he said, noting candidates will undercut each other as support bases overlap.
If this is the case, the most likely to win is a PPRP candidate due to its strong political clout, according to Mr Stithorn.
The PPRP has reportedly approached Pathum Thani governor Narongsak Osottanakorn, who became a household name in 2018 for his role in leading the rescue of a football team and their coach from a flooded cave in Chiang Rai, to run under the party's banner.
However, Mr Stithorn said Mr Suchatvee and the Democrat Party have a shot in the upcoming local election if city voters opt for individual candidates, instead of party candidates. He noted that the former rector has explanatory skills which can help him and the party garner more support.
Deputy Democrat Party leader Ongart Klampaiboon said he will vouch for Mr Suchatvee when the party executive board selects a candidate to run in the Bangkok poll.
He said Mr Suchatvee has the capability and determination to work for the city, and it depends on the city voters whether to give the opportunity. He also lauded Mr Suchatvee for his courage to join the party in its current form.
Besides the governor candidate, Mr Ongart said he will also nominate candidates to contest city council seats.
Democrat leader Jurin Laksanawisit also affirmed the party's decision to take part in the governor race and pledged to offer the city voters the best candidate.
"We consider it our job to offer the city residents the best. And I'm confident that [our candidate] will solicit a satisfactory response. We're aiming for something practical, realistic and can be done swiftly," said Mr Jurin.