Following the dissolution of the Move Forward Party (MFP), formerly the largest opposition party which emerged with the highest number of seats following the May 2023 general election, its MPs have joined a new party named “People’s Party.”

Former MFP MPs attended a meeting on 9 August to elect a new party leader and executive board members. (Photo by Ginger Cat)

On its Facebook page, the party said that the “most sacred and long-lasting” institution in a democracy is the people, who hold the supreme power. Its new logo, an inverted pyramid, places the people above their rulers, and that the three lines represent liberty, equality, and solidarity.

According to the party’s website, as of 12.50 today (9 August), the People’s Party has 2748 members and 903,631.51 baht in donations.

Parit Wacharasindhu, MP and former MFP spokesperson, said during this afternoon’s press conference that all remaining 143 MPs and 11 members of the Bangkok Metropolitan Council from the now-dissolved MFP have joined the People’s Party.

Parit said that the new party was named the People’s Party because it aims to be a party by the people, for the people, and to build a country where the people hold the supreme power. He said that they believe that the people are the most valuable in a democracy and every political institution should be connected to the people, can be investigated by the people, and exist securely and legitimately with the full consent of the people.

When asked if the People’s Party will re-submit the proposal to amend the royal defamation law to parliament, Parit said that the new party will have to discuss how they will go about it. However, he said that regarding all policies proposed by MFP, “whatever we saw as a problem back in that day, we still see as problems now.”

“In spite of some people trying to interpret that the verdict meant that the conversation on amending [the royal defamation law] is gone completely. I have to reiterate that that’s not the case,” he said. “There is still that space to find a workable solution to this issue, and I think this is a question that should be posed to all parties that had, in the past, spoken about this problem.”

From left: Parit Wacharasindhu, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, and Sarayut Jailak. (Photo by Ginger Cat)

MFP MP Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, formerly a deputy secretary-general for the MFP, was named leader of the new party. The 37-year-old has a degree in computer engineering from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Engineering and was a former executive for the cloud solution service provider Absolute Management Solutions.

Natthaphong was elected MP for Bangkok’s 28th constituency in the 2019 election as a member of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party (FFP) and joined the MFP following FFP’s dissolution. In the May 2023 general election, he was elected an MP in the party-list system.

Natthaphong said that the People’s Party mission is to build “a government of change”, which means that they need to win the next election in 2027. He said that it is time for the party to set a higher goal after winning the 2023 general election, which is to win the next election and form a single-party government.

Responding to speculation that she was one of the candidates for party leader, MP and former MFP deputy leader Sirikanya Tansakun that Natthaphong was the only candidate nominated during this morning’s party meeting. She said that she has never wanted to become party leader, and nominated Natthaphong herself because she is confident that he is fit to lead the party in the 2027 election and because of his involvement in the MFP’s management, particularly in building its IT system.

Sarayut Jailak, former director of the MFP and FFP, was named the People’s Party Secretary-General. A former student activist, Sarayut was the Secretary-General of the Student Federation of Thailand in 2000.

MFP MPs Natthawut Buapratum and Chutima Kotchapan were named party registrar and treasurer, respectively, while Picharn Chaowapatanawong, former MFP deputy leader, was named an executive board member.

The MFP, the largest opposition party which emerged with the highest number of seats following the 2023 general election, was dissolved on Wednesday (7 August) after the Constitutional Court ruled that it had committed treason by campaigning to amend the royal defamation law. Its 11 executive board members, including former leader and Prime Minister candidate Pita Limjaroenrat, are banned from running in elections, forming a political party, or serving as executive board members in another party for 10 years.