An insider from the Pheu Thai Party reports that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit discussed a political deal in Hong Kong to form a new government ahead of Thaksin’s plan to return to Thailand.
The source revealed that Mr. Thanathorn journeyed to Hong Kong on a Monday morning, making his way back to Thailand the next day.
“They discussed the possibility of the MFP [Move Forward Party] being excluded from the new government,” the insider reported. However, no additional details were shared.
The Progressive Movement was established following the disbandment of the Future Forward Party (FFP). Mr. Thanathorn, the party’s founder and former leader, had given the FFP a loan that was declared unlawful by the Constitutional Court.
The dissolved group reestablished itself as the MFP, with its main contributors, despite being barred from election involvement, creating the Progressive Movement, assisting in the MFP’s election campaign.
In the meantime, Thaksin is generally considered the Pheu Thai’s unofficial leader.
This disclosure followed a denial from MFP secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon on Wednesday, contradicting claims that the party’s leading members intended to travel to Hong Kong to discuss joining a new government with Thaksin.
When questioned about potential talks with Thaksin, Mr. Chaithawat affirmed that any decisions regarding a new government’s formation would be made by the coalition’s eight partners.
Based on the sources, Mr. Thanathorn boarded flight CX700 to Hong Kong on Monday and returned to Thailand on flight HX773 on Tuesday evening.
In a Thursday press conference, a massage parlor tycoon-turned whistleblower, Chuvit Kamolvisit, announced that Pheu Thai had struck a deal with Bhumjaithai and Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) to form a 279-MP government, excluding the MFP.
According to him, the parties’ key members met with Thaksin in Hong Kong to finalize the deal on Tuesday, the same day Mr. Thanathorn met with Thaksin, as claimed by Mr. Chuvit.
“With the formation of a new coalition, the MFP, the United Thai Nation Party, and the Democrat Party would form the opposition,” he shared.
A prime ministerial candidate proposed by the newly formed coalition would receive support from senators as the MFP would no longer be a part of the coalition, Mr. Chuvit commented.
“The deal is designed to untie the knot [that binds Pheu Thai and the MFP under the MoU they signed],” remarked Mr. Chuvit.
“The MFP failed in its bid to form a government and let Pheu Thai have a go at forming one, [but] Pheu Thai would not succeed, either.”
“Bhumjaithai will then be given a chance and succeed. It will also invite other parties [outside the MFP-led bloc] to join the new coalition,” he elaborated.
“Pheu Thai and the MFP are bound together. Pheu Thai cannot say it doesn’t want to stay with the MFP, so it has to let Bhumjaithai do the work because Bhumjaithai had made it clear that it will not work with the MFP,” Mr Chuvit asserted.
“Pheu Thai would nominate Chaikasem Nitisiri, but he won’t get enough support. Bhumjaithai would then take charge of forming a new government,” Mr Chuvit shared.
An additional source mentioned that the leader of the PPRP, Prawit Wongsuwon, has offered his support to Paetongtarn Shinawatra, Thaksin’s daughter and Pheu Thai’s prime minister candidate.
Should Pheu Thai nominate her in the upcoming PM vote, senators close to General Prawit would cast their vote in her favour, the source stated.
