The results of Sunday's election suggest Pita Limjaroenrat is on track to becoming the next Prime Minister of Thailand. The 42-year-old business executive is the leader of the Move Forward party, one of the country's liberal opposition parties.
Pita has achieved celebrity status among young Thais — and his fame and fandom is most evident on TikTok. The Thai hashtag of his name — #พิธาลิ้มเจริญรัตน์— has garnered some three billion views on the platform. A video that recorded one of his speeches has over 7.6 million views and thousands of comments showing support for his campaign. And, at many of his rallies, thousands of students gathered, holding banners with his face on them and chanting his name.
"I am ready to be the prime minister for all, whether you agree with me or not," Pita said on May 15, the day 99% of the votes were counted, per the Straits Times.
Pita promises to revive Thailand's "lost decade." His platform? To "demilitarize, demonopolize, and decentralize" — a plan that hopes to revive the economy by investing beyond tourism in major cities like Bangkok, Pita said in an interview with Bloomberg. Now, all eyes are on the ballot box as his supporters eagerly wait for a new era in Thai politics.