Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is counting on a third attempt with his party to secure a decisive victory and form a government in the next general election.
The billionaire-turned-politician expressed confidence in an interview in the documentary film Breaking the Cycle, predicting that the party, rooted in the now-defunct Future Forward Party, will win the national poll in 2027.
The 45-year-old said the party he formed would need three elections to achieve the goal of running the government.
The interview was filmed after he and other Future Forward executives were banned from politics in 2020.
Mr Thanathorn, along with two other colleagues, formed Future Forward in 2018. The party was dissolved by the Constitutional Court two years later, and its executives were banned from politics for 10 years for accepting 191.3 million baht from an illegitimate source.
Despite this setback, Mr Thanathorn and former Future Forward executives continue to drive political campaigns through the Progressive Movement.
Many Future Forward members then joined the newly established Move Forward Party. However, Move Forward's future remains uncertain as the court is set to rule next month whether the main opposition party will be dissolved for allegedly undermining the constitutional monarchy by attempting to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese-majeste law.
At a recent forum to mark the premiere in cinemas of Breaking the Cycle, Mr Thanathorn explained that members of the party, originally from Future Forward, are gaining political maturity and experience, preparing them to administer the country after the next election. The next election is scheduled for 2027, provided there are no snap polls or unexpected political incidents.
"That is the year that we will be fully ready," he told the audience.
"I have set my sights on 2027. I strongly believe in that year. It doesn't matter what the name of the party will be: Future Forward, Move Forward or a third party."
Future Forward won 80 seats in the 2019 election. Move Forward stunned the country by winning the most seats in the poll last year, securing 151 MPs.
"But we could not achieve a decisive win in 2023 as we only had 10 more seats (than the Pheu Thai Party)," he said. Pheu Thai came second with 141 seats.
"We have a great chance in the next poll," he added.
Breaking the Cycle documents Mr Thanathorn and his party colleagues from the time he entered politics in 2018. Future Forward, the party they founded before transforming into Move Forward, aimed to prevent Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha from retaining power and to offer voters another political choice. The film is a product of two young directors, Thanakrit Duangmaneeporn and Aekaphong Saransate.
"The two dared to think big," Mr Thanathorn praised the directors. "I never thought that this documentary would come this far."