BANGKOK, THAILAND – A parliamentary candidate in the Thai capital emerged as one of the most eye‑catching figures in the campaign with a platform mixing science fiction, social spending and hardline nationalism ahead of the 8 February vote.
Space force and malls on the moon
Politician Mongkolkit Suksintharanon presented a programme that resembled a blockbuster script more than traditional campaign pledges. He said he wanted to create a Thai “Space Force” of 3,000 personnel.
He also proposed space bases, space flights for Thai citizens and the construction of Central shopping malls on Mars, Jupiter and the Moon. As adviser to the prime minister on space technology, he said he hoped to bring in Elon Musk.
Dinosaurs and online skepticism
In parallel, Mongkolkit promised to revive dinosaurs, including plans to breed Tyrannosaurus rex. The announcement spread quickly on social media and triggered comparisons with the film “Jurassic Park”.
Scientists and online commentators reacted mainly with skepticism. Many publicly questioned whether these projects had any realistic basis.
Nuclear arsenal and superpower ambitions
On security policy, he called for a massive increase in military spending and demanded that the country be equipped with 10 nuclear weapons. Under his leadership, he claimed, the country could within ten years have both a strong army and the world’s number‑one economy.
Nationalist agenda and expulsions
His nationalist ideas included a “First” policy that called for the immediate deportation of 200,000 Cambodian nationals. He also announced that, if he won the election, he intended to stand out with provocative remarks about foreign heads of state and government.
Cash for pregnancies and fitness‑linked pay
Domestically, Mongkolkit focused on unusual social and family programmes. A 10 percent wage increase for workers would be tied to doing 40 to 100 push‑ups a day.
Women with a positive pregnancy test were to receive 10,000 baht, followed by 10,000 baht per month for prenatal care, while parents could additionally claim income tax exemptions. To raise the birth rate, he proposed free tonic drinks and up to seven years of tax breaks for people with children.
Multiple husbands and state matchmaking
Another proposal stated that women should be allowed to have up to four husbands. The state would match partners for single citizens of all gender combinations – male–female, male–male and female–female.
Those dissatisfied would be able to change partners.
Legal sex industry and erotic content
Not all of his ideas remained in the realm of fantasy. Mongkolkit called for the full legalization of pornography, sex work and sex toys.
According to the programme, such approaches were presented as a way, as discussed in other countries, to better regulate an already widespread industry.
Pensions, cosmetic surgery and family support
His social agenda included raising old‑age allowances to 3,000 baht per month for 13.8 million elderly people. Cosmetic “rejuvenation” procedures, including facelifts, were to be added to the universal healthcare scheme once every ten years plus one additional corrective procedure.
Women aged 36 to 50 were to be entitled to free cosmetic procedures in the genital area and fertility‑enhancing supplements.
Billions for film, pets and homeowners
The big‑ticket promises continued in the cultural sector. A revolving fund of 5 billion baht per year would support film, drama and television productions.
Registered homeowners were to receive 36,000 baht in cash, while a budget of 3 billion baht per year was earmarked for caring for two million stray dogs and cats. At the same time, Mongkolkit wanted to crack down on overpriced lottery tickets, proposing five years in prison per ticket for anyone selling above 80 baht.
High visibility, low expectations
Observers doubted that these proposals would ever become government policy. Nevertheless, Mongkolkit released new ideas almost daily, ranging from a space base to dinosaur cloning.
In doing so, he positioned himself as one of the most conspicuous actors in the ongoing election campaign ahead of the 8 February vote.