Politicians must focus on finding solutions to the country's main problems this year, as elections will soon be with us, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva says.
He said 2016 was the year in which politicians and the public at large became familiar with the new rules that will define Thailand's political future.
These are now enshrined in the charter, which sailed through a referendum in August, as well as the upcoming organic laws.
However, Thais' interest will likely shift towards the highly anticipated elections, even if they do not take place in late 2017 as widely expected, Mr Abhisit said.
"Elections will become a reality for the public as we enter the third phase of the National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO] roadmap," he added.
He said Thais will want to know how their day-to-day problems will be solved after elections take place.
The country's economic situation and families' dire financial situation -- especially in rural areas or among people with lower incomes -- is likely to prey on people's minds in the coming year, the former prime minister said.
"It's clear there will be more debate, and people exchanging their views and opinions," he said.
People will also evaluate how much reform has taken place in the past two or three years, discuss areas where they want reforms to continue, and what should be changed.
The former prime minister added that, for politicians, the objective is to find solutions to the public's questions and demands.
They must figure out how they will want to take care of Thais, especially as they have more diverse needs today, he said. "Many people on the ground don't want to hear numbers about economic growth, because they are facing real problems, such as the drought, low crop prices or inflation."
Similarly, Mr Abhisit argued that the "4.0 economy" strategy may not be suited for all population groups. He hopes more Thais will become aware of their needs and carefully select the policies they wish to be implemented -- rather than argue about the rules.
The Thailand 4.0 initiative attempts to add value through advanced technology and innovation in 10 targeted industries: Next-generation automobiles; smart electronics; affluent tourism; agriculture and agricultural processing industries; biotechnology; food processing (ready-to-eat and food for the future); robotics; aviation and logistics; biofuels and biochemicals; and the digital sector.
The Democrat Party will further advance its agenda in 2017, while continuing to work within the limits imposed by the junta, he said.
Mr Abhisit said he has met various groups of people from diverse backgrounds to better understand their needs.
In addition to restoring the country's economy, Mr Abhisit regards education as an important challenge ahead of elections. Maintaining quality is important, but policies need to take social changes into account and stimulate students' thinking, he added.
Turning to political parties, Mr Abhisit said: "The military cannot limit political parties' activities any longer." Once the draft organic law governing parties is passed, they will have the right to form meetings and their freedom will be restored, he said.
Still, politicians face important challenges. They must earn back the public's trust, after being sidelined since the 2014 coup.
If parties come up with good policies that meet the public's needs, the people will feel that they can rely on politicians to represent them.