Pita Limjaroenrat is in no hurry. The Thai politician looks settled at election rallies, speaking to a mass of young voters as equals, if not friends. He smiles through interviews, the calm in his voice drawing attention to his reformist ideas. At Bangkok’s Pride Parade last week, he posed for selfies in a crisp rainbow shirt, sleeves coolly rolled up to the elbow.
This is not the rush of someone who, from a cliff, sees change and wants to leap forward. He carries a rare collectedness. Mr. Pita understands a yearning among Thai voters who have led pro-democracy protests to fight an inertia — one that keeps oppressive regimes in power.
“[T]his election is about people looking for a new face, and a new future,” he said in an interview weeks before Thailand’s elections on May 14. Mr. Pita led his Move Forward Party (MFP) to a stunning victory. People came out in record numbers;…
