Remember city burning, Bangkok voters told

Korbsak Sabhavasu, chief of the Democrat Party's strategy panel, said the party believed the majority of the public still have bitter memories of the unrest and the burning of Bangkok.

The Democrats are changing election campaign tactics to cut the ground from under Pheu Thai by reminding voters that key figures of the red shirt movement who are now running for the general election under the party's banner, are alleged to be involved.

The move comes after several polls have come out favouring Pheu Thai, indicating its popularity ratings are ahead of the Democrats and that Pheu Thai will win the general election.

The Bangkok Poll showed that Pheu Thai would win in 18 out of the 33 Bangkok constituencies while the Democrats would gain only six. The contests in the remaining constituencies are expected to be neck-and-neck. Mr Korbsak said the violence in April and May last year stemmed from the red shirt movement led by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, which is aligned with Pheu Thai.

Mr Korbsak said many top figures of the red shirt UDD are now running for the election on Pheu Thai's party list and some of them are likely to be given cabinet portfolios if Pheu Thai wins the election and forms the government.

The public should be able to imagine what kind of government they would get, Mr Korbsak said.