Progressive Movement (Thailand)

The Executive Committee of the Progressive Movement initially consisted of 12 out of 16 former executive members of the Future Forward Party in 2020. In 2024, it included 11 former executive members of the Move Forward Party, totaling 27 people who were all disqualified from political rights for 10 years as follows:

The Progressive Movement has three main missions:

1. Building a network across Thailand
2. Campaigning ideas throughout Thailand
3. Campaigning for local elections at all levels throughout Thailand^[2]

Additionally, the Progressive Movement campaigns for 12 key issues, which include:

On June 18, 2021, the Progressive Movement Foundation was officially registered,^[3] with the following members:

Rank	Name	Position
1	Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit	Chairman of the Board
2	Channarn Chanruang	Vice Chairman of the Board
3	Lt. Gen. Phongsak Ratchamaporn
4	Surachai Srisarakam
5	Piyabutr Saengkanokkul	Board Member
6	Pannika Wanich
7	Decharat Sukkamnoed
8	Sunthorn Boonyod
9	Chun Phakdeesri
10	Jenwit Kraisin
11	Kraikong Waithayakarn
12	Yaowalak Wongpraparat	Treasurer and Board Member
13	Kullada Rungcharoenkiat	Secretary and Board Member

The Progressive Movement Foundation aims to:

1. Promote education and research in social sciences, law, political science, and other fields.
2. Promote the translation of foreign language books into Thai.
3. Disseminate knowledge or research findings in social sciences, law, political science, and other fields to the public.
4. Encourage young people to engage in educational camps that foster democratic values.
5. Provide scholarships to underprivileged youth.
6. Support and promote social welfare activities that assist the elderly, disabled, and disadvantaged individuals.
7. Support and promote sports activities of all kinds.
8. Promote democratic governance with the King as the Head of State, ensuring neutrality and not providing financial or property support to any politician or political party.

The foundation was officially announced in the Royal Gazette on September 17 of the same year, with a registered capital of 500,000 Baht.^[4]

Moreover, after the dissolution of the Move Forward Party in 2024, following the settlement of debts and expenses, the remaining assets of the party will be transferred to the Progressive Movement Foundation in accordance with the party's regulations.^[5]

The Progressive Movement launched the Progressive Social Security Group and introduced the seven candidates representing the insured party, who would run in the 2023 Social Security Board Election. They promoted 14 social security policies. Additionally, the candidates of the Progressive Social Security Group stated that during the first two years of their term, they would refrain from participating in foreign study visits.^[17]

Following the election, six out of the seven candidates from the group were elected, except for Thanaporn Wijan, who was disqualified from running.^[18]

The Progressive Movement held a meeting with the Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw) to nominate candidates for the 2024 Thai Senate Election. The selection process involves candidates voting among themselves, as candidates cannot be affiliated with or related to any political party. The Progressive Movement, in collaboration with iLaw, took on the role of nominating Senate candidates in all areas. Approximately 100 candidates will be selected nationwide, with an official launch event scheduled for March 27, 2024, at the October 14 Memorial at Khok Wua Intersection. The objective of nominating Senate candidates is to push for amendments to the 2017 constitution of Thailand and reduce the power of Independent Organizations under the Constitution of Thailand.^[19]

Additionally, the Progressive Movement continues to campaign for the nomination of Senators. The role of the Senate is not only important for constitutional amendments and the establishment of a Constitutional Drafting Assembly, but the new Senate can also vote to approve or disapprove individuals for positions in independent organizations, such as the judges of the Constitutional Court of Thailand, the Supreme Administrative Court, or the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, among others.^[20]

Following the completion of the Senate election, it was found that a member of the Progressive Movement was selected as a Senator. Weerayut Soitong was elected as a Senator representing the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) group. Weerayut is a policy expert for the Progressive Movement and is known for advocating drinkable tap water policies.^[21]

Summarize Timeline Top Qs Fact Check

The Progressive Movement believes that the ages of 2–6 years are critically important for the physical, mental, and emotional development of young children. Taking care of children during this age is as crucial as, if not more important than, education at other ages. However, most Early Childhood Development Centers in Thailand lack sufficient good quality storybooks for children and teachers. Having well-structured buildings, good hygiene, cleanliness, enough play areas, and adequate toys is already hard to come by. Not to mention the need to equip teachers at these centers with knowledge and proper educational tools to care for the children in their communities, given the limited budget allocations.

To address this, the Progressive Movement initiated the Dream Shaping Reading project in collaboration with several municipalities and Subdistrict Administrative Organizations that the Progressive Movement advises. This project involves providing quality storybooks, donated by the private sector, to 100 participating Early Childhood Development Centers at a time. Additionally, teachers are trained to use storybooks as tools to enhance the development of young children. Kullada Rungcharoenkiat, the Director of the Progressive Movement Foundation, led the team to train and distribute storybooks and essential learning materials to the teachers in several provinces, including Udon Thani, Mukdahan, Lamphun, Nong Bua Lam Phu, Kalasin, and Roi Et.

The Dream Shaping Reading project has been well-received by teachers, who now have more resources to support young children's development. The children enjoy the storybooks, exploring the pictures, using their imaginations, learning new vocabulary, and reading with their friends and teachers. The books can also be borrowed to take home for parents to read to their children, or in some cases, for the children to read to their parents. This creates a collaborative activity between children, teachers, and parents, fostering the development of young children in their communities.^[22]

The Progressive Movement subsequently provided "Dream Shaping Reading" cabinets to several Early Childhood Development Centers, containing more than 100 quality storybooks and teaching materials for young children. The Dream Shaping Reading project aims to distribute carefully selected books and teaching materials designed to create a friendly learning environment and develop various skills in young children, which are vital for their future education. Kullada Rungcharoenkiat, the Director of the Progressive Movement Foundation, along with Yaowalak Wongpraparat, a member of the Progressive Movement executive board, traveled to Udon Thani to deliver Dream Shaping Reading cabinets to 13 Early Childhood Development Centers in the Pak Ko Subdistrict Municipality, Sri That Subdistrict Municipality, Ban Yod Subdistrict Municipality, and other municipalities supported by the Progressive Movement. These cabinets are intended to enhance the learning skills of young children and address the lack of appropriate teaching materials in local areas.^[23]

Currently, the Progressive Movement has distributed Dream Shaping Reading cabinets to 8 Early Childhood Development Centers and plans to expand to 13 more centers. Recently, the Progressive Movement provided Dream Shaping Reading cabinets to two subdistrict municipalities, including the Mueang Chai Subdistrict Municipality and the Thakarn North Subdistrict Municipality, with 7 Early Childhood Development Centers participating in the workshops and receiving the cabinets. Additionally, Dream Shaping Reading cabinets were distributed to the Progressive Movement-supported subdistrict municipalities in Udon Thani, including the Pak Ko Subdistrict Municipality, Ban Yod Subdistrict Municipality, and Sri That Subdistrict Municipality, totaling 13 cabinets.^[24]

The Progressive Movement initiated the Baby Box project, starting with the Kamphaeng Saen Subdistrict Administrative Organization in Nakhon Pathom Province. The Baby Box contains essential items for mothers and babies, along with a user manual. The staff of the Kamphaeng Saen Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Kamphaeng Saen Hospital, and Kasetsart University Medical Staff provided guidance on child-rearing to ensure children grow up healthy and develop appropriately.^[25]

After the mayoral and municipal council elections, the Progressive Movement launched the Drinkable Tap Water policy, starting with the Ach Samat Subdistrict Municipality in Ach Samat District, Roi Et Province. Thepporn Champanuan, Mayor of Ach Samat Subdistrict, stated that he and his Progressive Movement team aimed to make tap water drinkable within the first 99 days, or approximately the first 3 months, of their term.^[26]

On November 16, 2021, six months after the announcement of the Drinkable Tap Water policy, the Department of Health of the Ministry of Public Health (Thailand) awarded the municipality a certificate for meeting drinking water quality standards.^[27]

On August 31, 2023, Ach Samat Subdistrict Municipality received the award for Outstanding Subdistrict Municipality in Good Governance for the fiscal year 2023, with a first-place prize and a cash reward of 3,200,000 Baht.^[28] The municipality won the first-place award again in 2024.

On September 25, 2024, Ach Samat Subdistrict Municipality won first place in the Clean Drinkable Tap Water competition organized by the Ministry of Interior (Thailand), receiving a cash prize of 50,000 Baht.

Pannika Wanich announced the areas where the Drinkable Tap Water project was successfully implemented and received certificates from the Department of Health for meeting drinking water quality standards. These areas include:^[29]

• Ach Samat Subdistrict Municipality, Ach Samat District, Roi Et Province
• Phon Subdistrict Municipality, Kham Muang District, Kalasin Province
• Nong Khaen Subdistrict Municipality, Dong Luang District, Mukdahan Province
• Don Ngu Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Borabu District, Maha Sarakham Province
• Na Bua Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Phen District, Udon Thani Province

The Progressive Movement traveled to the Kamphaeng Saen Subdistrict Administrative Organization in Nakhon Pathom Province. Thongchai Chokdamrongsuk, the Subdistrict Administrative Organization's chief executive, attended the training session and initiated the use of the "Fondue" application. This application allows the residents of Kamphaeng Saen to report various issues. On April 30, 2022, after Thongchai Chokdamrongsuk was trusted by the residents to serve as the chief executive, he promptly began implementing the core policies of the Progressive Movement, as promised to the public. The Fondue application was launched in mid-2021 in collaboration with 16 municipalities supported by the Progressive Movement and has been well-received by residents, with usage statistics increasing every month. This success has led many other municipalities and subdistrict administrative organizations to train their staff to adopt Fondue for their areas.^[30]

In addition to Kamphaeng Saen Subdistrict, the Phon Sung Subdistrict Administrative Organization in Ban Dung District, Udon Thani Province, under the leadership of Chief Executive Pongpipat Khotkamkha, also initiated the use of the "Fondue" real-time problem-reporting application. This application has effectively addressed and resolved issues reported by residents promptly and efficiently.^[31]

The Progressive Movement has promoted environmental policies in all subdistrict municipalities it supports through the "Progressive Waste Management Project." The project was piloted in Khwao Subdistrict Municipality, Selaphum District, Roi Et Province. The initiative included workshops to educate residents, as well as vendors in the municipal market, on effective waste management practices that add value and reduce environmental pollution.^[32]

In the area of Nong Khaen Subdistrict Municipality, Dong Luang District, Mukdahan Province, supported by the Progressive Movement, the "Waste-to-Welfare" project has been implemented. This project allows residents to bring unused or valuable waste to the waste bank, where the proceeds from selling the waste are accumulated in a members' funeral fund. This fund will help offset future costs for religious ceremonies. During its first collection, the Nong Khaen Subdistrict Municipality's waste bank received 1,185 kilograms of waste, approximately 1 ton. Initially, the waste bank and funeral fund had 132 members. On the first collection day, 19 more residents joined, reflecting strong community interest. Most of the waste collected was mixed plastics, with over 36 households from three villages participating enthusiastically.^[33]