Pheu Thai wants better ties with China: Thai PM hopeful

Yingluck Shinawatra, a prime minister hopeful and Pheu Thai No. 1 party-list candidate, said on Friday that she is looking forward to better relations with China.

"China and Thailand are like one family, I would like to build better relations with China." the 44-year-old politician said in an interview with Xinhua at her Pheu Thai Party headquarters in Bangkok.

"I often go to China and the country is developing very fast which made me quite expressed," she said.

With the general election just half a month away, businesswoman- turned-politician Yingluck admitted that she was quite new when compared with Abhisit Vejjajiva, Prime Minister and the Democrat Party Chief, who has been in politics for almost two decades.

"I enjoyed my life now because each time I see people smile to us, I feel very warm and more energetic to continue to work," she said after returning from a campaign in the northeast, a stronghold of her Pheu Thai Party.

"Right now it's quite difficult to forecast the number of MPs, but I think we will get at least half of all seats (250 seats) ", she said. "However, it is just half way of the election, we have to work harder to get another 50 percent of people who are still undecided."

Thailand is set to hold a general election on July 3.

She ruled out the possibility to join hands with Bhumjaithai Party, a party in the coalition government, to form a new government.

"Our philosophy is that whoever can agree with our version and idea to the commitment to the people and the Bhumjaithai Party does not have the same strategy as our party, " she said. "So, our partner will not be Bhumjaithai while the other parties are still welcome."

Last month, Noppadon Pattama, legal advisor of Thaksin's family, said that it would be very difficult for Pheu Thai Party to form a coalition government with the Bhumjaithai Party, but would ask some smaller parties to become its coalition partners.

Bhumjaithai consists of a breakaway group of incumbent MPs from the People Power Party - Pheu Thai's former incarnation - after it was disbanded by a court order in 2007 for electoral fraud.

The youngest sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who lives self-exile in Dubai said her brother will return home this December to attend his eldest daughter's wedding.

"It's not unusual for my brother to want to attend the wedding of his daughter Pinthongta Shinawatra," she said.

"I learned management and thinking style from my brother, he always gives me some advices and opportunities, I will use his experience to look forward and help my country," she added.

Source: Xinhua

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