Julphan points out that the target of 200 parliamentary seats is challenging, but Pheu Thai can achieve it based on the party's potential, personnel, and policies. He also reveals that Yaowapa has stopped Yotsanan from returning to politics.
On 22 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Julphan Amornwiwat, leader of the Pheu Thai Party and prime ministerial candidate, told the program "Open Up with Pakpoom" that the 2026 election battle will be the toughest. He said the situation is unusual only for Pheu Thai. When asked if it is harder than in the past, he said many previous party leaders faced much more severe crises, including elections following coups and party dissolutions. Therefore, he believes his era is not tougher than others, though it might be the first time in over 20 years since the first election with Thai Rak Thai led by Thaksin.
This election might be the first time they do not come in first place, so people estimate Pheu Thai may not be the frontrunner. He said the party must explain this clearly to the public as they move forward toward the election.
When asked whether the journey from Thai Rak Thai to People's Power and then Pheu Thai, always coming first and narrowly winning the second prime ministership, means a tough battle for the party leader this time, Julphan said elections are never easy because the power is in the hands of the people. It is the party's duty to communicate effectively, but he is confident Pheu Thai will return strongly this election.
Regarding Pheu Thai's target of 200 parliamentary seats, Julphan said it is a challenging but achievable goal. The party previously achieved a landslide with 377 seats, and Yingluck Shinawatra had 247 or 249 seats. Even in the last election, despite mistakes especially in managing momentum toward the end, Pheu Thai still secured 141 seats, proving it is not a small party. He trusts the party's potential, personnel, and policies to truly aim for 200 seats this time.
, though they recently faced controversies like the "Uncle" audio clip and the Thai-Cambodian situation. "We have been through many dimensions of challenges. As a government, we have taken many actions. The Thai-Cambodian situation is correct; there were incidents we handled successfully, such as past policies like the 30-baht universal healthcare and village funds still benefiting the people. Of course, those who work face setbacks, but we believe what we've done benefits the public," Julphan said. .
When asked if it is too soon to have had three prime ministers within two years and six months and now face new elections, Julphan said that in parliament they joked that being an MP now is very worthwhile since in just over two years they have chosen five prime ministers—an unprecedented scenario. This is a problem they must consider deeply. Pheu Thai has pushed hard to amend the constitution because they see serious flaws starting from the wrong foundation and content, which weakened democratic mechanisms and political parties. Therefore, there is reason to pursue drafting a new constitution, even though it has yet to come to fruition.
He said they warned from the start that the MOA failed, and this has been proven true. However, at the final stage, parliament submitted a question to the government asking if the people want a new constitution. This was sent to the Election Commission, and they hope a referendum will take place with public support to proceed with a new constitution.
When asked why Pheu Thai includes Yotsanan Wongsawat as a prime ministerial candidate—is it because of ties to the Wongsawat family?—Julphan insisted it is unrelated. He said people should separate the issues. When people know each other, they do not start by asking surnames; they look at the person's substance, potential, and knowledge rather than their background or family ties.
"Yotsanan is not new to Pheu Thai; he previously ran for MP in Chiang Mai. After that election was annulled, he lived in other roles as a professor at Mahidol University. This proves that his surname was not a factor because leading universities like Mahidol would not consider surnames when appointing deans or deputy deans. His work speaks for itself. Over the past year, he returned due to his expertise in applying technology to economic development and innovation. He helped in Phitsanulok by giving advice before joining the party to help design policies. Therefore, the policy package presented now is something Yotsanan knows well, having been involved from start to finish," Julphan explained.
The arrival of Yotsanan is not about having someone from the Shinawatra family. Julphan said he talked with Yotsanan, who revealed that actually Yaowapa Wongsawat, Yotsanan's mother, stopped him from reentering politics because, as seen, there are situations involving extraparliamentary power interfering with independent organizations. Politics can be risky, but the party is fully committed because it is their profession and they want to improve the country. .
He noted that observing the Bhumjaithai Party now, they have invited prime ministerial candidates but could not agree because outsiders sometimes do not want to join. If they want to build politics with rule of law, transparency, and responsiveness to the people, to attract capable outsiders to develop the country with them, they must restructure society and the democratic infrastructure.