In this sense, Ngarmpring's candidacy is – if nothing else – a symbol of how Thailand is more tolerant than many other nations in south-east Asia. But the woman herself is determined to be a lot more than a symbol, and her tilt at politics is anything but token. Ngarmpring is a well-known figure in Thailand and her tilt at politics follows a successful, high profile career as Pinit Ngarmpring – including seven years at the Bangkok Post, as a marketing executive and as the chief executive of the influential CheerThai Power football fans group. Pauline Ngarmpring (centre) and Chakkarin Singhanutta (right) talk to a passerby during a campaign walk in the heart of Bangkok. Credit:Amilia Rosa "I don’t like dictatorships – let’s be clear – so I joined politics because of [her support for] democracy," she told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. "We are targeting six or seven seats, that means the chance for me to be PM is not high. But this is an opportunity for me to educate people and tell people we [the LGBT community] exist."

Loading Thailand's complicated new electoral system is effectively designed to ensure no one party wins a majority in the lower house and Ngarmpring, for her part, is prepared to join and support an alliance of parties that could come together and change the government. Given her views on dictatorships, it seems unlikely the Mahachon Party would throw its support behind the incumbent Prime Minister Prayut, a former general installed after the 2014 coup who is campaigning for democratic election, remaining in power. Mahachon Party is standing 170 candidates for the 500-member lower house and Ngarmpring is at pains to stress that Mahachon is not a single-issue party – they are broadly focused on human rights, labour law (they want to decriminalise sex workers), a fairer wages policy and increasing access to education. Samatchaya Chavengjaroenkul, left, Pauline Ngarmpring, centre, and Chakkarin Singhanutta. Credit:Amilia Rosa

Asked why Thailand is more tolerant of LGBT communities than other countries in the region, Ngarmpring chooses her words carefully. "We have more freedoms here. The Thai people aren’t extreme, we don’t hate or love too much. But in terms of the law, and in rural areas, the discrimination is still the same," she said. "Our society has two standards. People accept LGBT people on the street or on TV, but not in their families." She began her transition to becoming Pauline in 2013 and completed it about three years ago. Thai Prime Minister and coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha. Credit:AP

"After I came out, a lot of people sent me messages saying I was so brave and now they think about also coming out. It’s not about being well-known or famous. It’s about being valuable to other people," she said. Political analysts are loathe to predict what the outcome of Sunday's poll will be, beyond suggesting an unstable minority government is likely. Opinion polls show Prime Minister Prayut is not popular, particularly in the north and north-east of Thailand, the stronghold of the opposition Pheu Thai party, which is linked to deposed former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. As many as 7 million young Thais are eligible to vote for the first time on Sunday; turn out is tipped to reach 80 per cent; and the number of people voting early has also been high – all adding to the uncertainty.