Pheu Thai Party leader Chonlanan Srikaew has denied rumours of a “secret deal” in which Pheu Thai Party will leave the Move Forward coalition and form a government with the Bhumjaithai and Palang Pracharath parties, adding the Party is committed to helping Pita Limjaroenrat win enough votes to become prime minister.

Rumours of secret deals have tainted the narrative surrounding the Pheu Thai Party since the election. The party has rigorously denied that any such deal exists, but to no avail. 

The reaffirmation came during a press conference which aimed to respond to an incident on Sunday when a group of Pheu Thai supporters called the Red Shirt Pheu Thai FC, concerned that the Pheu Thai party is being made the villain and has been constantly bombarded with fabricated information, submitted a letter on Sunday calling for the party to leave the Move Forward coalition.

“When the leading party in the coalition views the Pheu Thai Party as an obstacle and a problem in establishing the government by citing traditional practices, the group wants the Pheu Thai Party to be aware that in the past, the party ranked second has never had a tradition of joining hands to form a coalition government with the party ranked first,” reads the statement released by the group.

Chonlanan on Monday said although the Party acknowledges the group’s concerns, it reaffirmed its commitment to remain in the Move Forward coalition and install Pita as the prime minister.

“We won’t betray the people,” the head of the Party said, adding he and the Party respect the will of the people who trusted the Pheu Thai Party and Move Forward people with 25 million combined votes to steer Thailand on the path toward democracy.

“Our responsibility is to accomplish what the public has dictated which is to restore democracy and alleviate their plight,” the leader said. He also warned the media and the public of the tendency for malign actors to fabricate fake news to sabotage the party.

The Pheu Thai Party has long defended the Party’s commitment to establishing a government with the Move Forward Party. Rumours of a secret deal have plagued the Party partly because the public thought the party leaders were never clear whether they would join hands with Prawit Wongsuwon and Prayut Chan-o-cha.

“There’s no such deal,” affirmed Chonlanan. “Pheu Thai doesn’t make such a deal,” he said.

Most of the rumours surrounding the secret deal suggest that Pheu Thai Party would strike a deal with the Bhumjaithai and Palang Pracharath parties. 

The rumours resurfaced yesterday as a picture showing former PM candidate of the Pheu Thai Party Sretta Thavisin and leader of the Bhumjaithai Party Anutin Charnvirakul in the same frame made waves on social media. Sretta and Anutin were seen together at a football match featuring the Leicester City team.

The Pheu Thai Party said Sretta and Anutin did not go to the match together and that their presence there was coincidental, adding that Sretta had announced many months in advance that he would attend the match.

The reaffirmation came during a press conference which aimed to respond to an incident on Sunday when a group of Pheu Thai supporters called the Red Shirt Pheu Thai FC, concerned that the Pheu Thai party is being made the villain and has been constantly bombarded with fabricated information, submitted a letter calling for the party to leave the Move Forward coalition.

“When the leading party in the coalition views the Pheu Thai Party as an obstacle and a problem in establishing the government by citing traditional practices, the group wants the Pheu Thai Party to be aware that in the past, the party ranked second has never had a tradition of joining hands to form a coalition government with the party ranked first,” reads the statement released by the group.

Chonlanan said although the Party acknowledges the group’s concerns, it reaffirmed its commitment to remain in the Move Forward coalition and install Pita as the prime minister.

“We won’t betray the people,” the head of the Party said, adding he and the Party respect the will of the people who trusted the Pheu Thai Party and Move Forward people with 25 million combined votes to steer Thailand on the path toward democracy.

“Our responsibility is to accomplish what the public has dictated which is to restore democracy and alleviate their plight,” the leader said. He also warned the media and the public of the tendency for malign actors to fabricate fake news to sabotage the party.

The Pheu Thai Party has long defended the Party’s commitment to establishing a government with the Move Forward Party. Rumours of a secret deal have plagued the Party partly because the public thought the party leaders were never clear whether they would join hands with Prawit Wongsuwon and Prayut Chan-o-cha.

“There’s no such deal,” affirmed Chonlanan. “Pheu Thai doesn’t make such a deal,” he said.

Most of the rumours surrounding the secret deal suggest that Pheu Thai Party would strike a deal with the Bhumjaithai and Palang Pracharath parties. 

The rumours resurfaced today as a picture showing former PM candidate of the Pheu Thai Party Sretta Thavisin and leader of the Bhumjaithai Party Anutin Charnvirakul in the same frame made waves on social media. Sretta and Anutin were seen together at a football match featuring the Leicester City team.

The Pheu Thai Party said Sretta and Anutin did not go to the match together and that their presence there was coincidental, adding that Sretta had announced many months in advance that he would attend the match.