Thai election frontrunner People's Party faces changing public mood
> As campaigning for Thailand's Feb. 8 election heads into the home stretch, a clip from 2023 has gone viral on social media, fueling disappointment with the country's largest opposition group.
> "What are soldiers for?" Pita Limjaroenrat, then leader of the Move Forward Party, says in the video. "I see no need to have such big military forces if the leader (of a country) is smart enough," he adds, going on to say he would cut the nation's military budget immediately if his party won.
> In the 2023 election, the reformist group surged in popularity, reflecting voter hopes for change after nine years of military-dominated rule in the Southeast Asian country.
> This time, however, the public mood has changed. Experts say recent border conflicts with Cambodia have put the spotlight on frontline soldiers and stoked feelings of unity and nationalism among Thais, dealing a blow to the group, now called the People's Party.
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