Abhisit expects to finalize the Bangkok governor candidate by early May. The candidate is male and currently being approached. He admits missing the district MP targets and is moving forward to restore the party's credibility. He points out that holding the party congress online helps save budget and travel time.
At 10:10 a.m. on 25 Apr 2026 at the Democrat Party headquarters, Mr. Abhisit Vejjajiva, party list MP and party leader, spoke about the Democrat Party's candidate for Bangkok governor. He said they are still approaching individuals who have expressed interest and will try to announce the candidate as soon as possible since the current governor’s term is nearly complete. Several people have contacted the party, and the party has reached out to many as well. When asked if the announcement could be made by early May, Abhisit said they would try to meet that timeline as the registration occurs in mid-May. Asked if the candidate is from within the party, Abhisit laughed and said, “Soon they will be part of the party.” When asked about the candidate’s gender, he said it is a man.
According to reporters, during the 2026 annual general meeting chaired by Mr. Abhisit, he thanked everyone once again for their cooperation in the early-year elections despite many constraints, especially time limitations which affected readiness and candidate selection processes. He noted that while the party performed slightly better than in 2019 in the party-list system, which provides a foundation for future growth, the district-level contests did not meet expectations. He said he received feedback from all regions about factors leading to the underperformance, prompting a revision of plans to ensure better preparation and groundwork for the next election.
"Regarding our role as the opposition with only 21 seats, we remain quite vocal. All MPs are committed to using every opportunity in parliament, including motions, legislation, and debates, such as government policy debates, to demonstrate our strength as a credible, creative, and constructive watchdog. We also communicate the party’s perspectives on social, economic, and political issues. The party is improving technology use and connectivity—for example, identity verification at today’s congress and ongoing communication with members nationwide via apps and internal channels to keep all informed of party leadership, MPs, branch representatives, and provincial delegates. The parliament has 35 standing committees; our party holds chairmanship of two committees: 1) Public Health and 2) Anti-Money Laundering and Narcotics Suppression. Although we do not have members on every committee, we will coordinate to seek advisory or expert roles, formal or informal, for experienced former ministers and MPs wishing to support committee work," Abhisit said.
Reporters noted that the 2026 annual general meeting approved the party’s 2025 activities report and financial statements in accordance with the Political Parties Act of 2017, without appointing a new deputy party leader to replace Veerapong Prapha, who resigned to become Thailand’s trade representative under the Ministry of Commerce in the government of Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul. The meeting lasted about two hours. Afterward, Mr. Abhisit said the congress saved significant expenses and travel time, especially accommodation and transportation costs.
