A well-known Thai prime ministerial candidate Paetongtarn Shinawatra declared on Wednesday that she was keen to resume her campaigning barely two days after giving birth.
At a press conference held at the Bangkok hospital where she gave birth, Shinawatra said that with just under two weeks until the election, she would still be able to garner support for her Pheu Thai party, as reported by the Associated Press.
“I believe good things come along with children,” she said, sitting beside her husband, Pidok Sooksawas. I believe that children are my secret power to work, and to lead everyday life,” she said.
The baby was carried into the room in an incubator and briefly shown to the media before being moved back in.
Paetongtarn is the youngest daughter of Thaksin Shinawatra, the controversial former prime minister who was overthrown in a military takeover in 2006. Thaksin is well-liked but controversial. She is also Yingluck Shinawatra’s niece, whose administration suffered a same fate eight years later.
After the baby was born on Monday, Thaksin, who has been in self-exile since the 2006 coup, tweeted that he would like permission to return home to see his grandchildren. He ended the tweet with the phrase “See you soon.” He lives abroad to avoid serving a prison sentence for abuse of power, a conviction he has criticised as being politically motivated.
Paetongtarn downplayed the significance of the message, claiming it was merely the “natural expression” of a grandfather who was “very happy and excited.”
As a well-liked but divisive figure in Thai politics, there have been worries that Thaksin’s return might cause unrest.
“Of course, the things he said would have a political effect,” she said. “However, as a family, I think there’s nothing wrong to hope for that, especially when there’s a good thing happening to the family,” she said.
Paetongtarn ran for office throughout her pregnancy. She has repeatedly come out on top in polls as Thailand’s preferred candidate for prime minister and the next administration, along with the Pheu Thai Party. She used her moment on Wednesday to emphasise her unwavering confidence in a resounding victory.
“I’d like to ask the Thai people to remain firm, because this vote is not like any other,” she said. “Thailand cannot just hope for the best anymore. Thailand needs change, and only the Pheu Thai Party is the best answer for the Thai people now,” she said.
