Following the Constitutional Court’s decision to dissolve the Move Forward Party and ban its leaders from politics for 10 years, party leader Chaitawat Tulathon insisted that the party did not commit treason and that the ruling risks changing the democratic regime with the King as the Head of State into another type of regime.

Chaithawat Tulathon speaking during the 7 August press conference after the Move Forward Party's dissolution. (Photo from Move Forward Party)

In a press conference at the MFP’s headquarters on the evening of 7 August, Chaithawat said that, based on the facts and proper legal principles, the party did nothing treasonous or in opposition to the regime.

In addition to dissolving the party and banning its leaders, however, Chaithawat said that the ruling sets a dangerous precedent in how the Constitution and other legislation are to be interpreted and risks affecting the basic principles and values of the democratic regime with the King as the Head of State in the future.

“The Constitutional Court’s ruling today has the long-term risk of turning our democratic regime with the King as the Head of State into another type of regime. This is an important implication that we think has a more significant impact than the dissolution of the Move Forward Party,” he said.

Pita Limjaroenrat, former MFP party leader and Prime Minister candidate, said that he wants to keep working in politics as a citizen and will help MFP’s former members form a government as far as he is legally allowed.

“I will do everything I can in my capacity as a Thai citizen to make our country better, and I will help the new vehicle of my friends, the former MFP members, as far as the law will allow, to help them form the best government Thailand has ever seen,” Pita said.

Pita said he understands that people may feel disappointed, angry, or sad, but he asks that they spend their energy in upcoming elections, including a by-election in Phitsanulok to replace the now-disqualified Padipat Suntiphada and the Ratchaburi provincial administration election, as well as the next general election in 2027.

Answering questions from the media, Sirikanya Tansakul, MP and MFP deputy leader, said that the new party formed in place of the MFP will inherit its ideologies, but how those ideologies are implemented are specific to each generation of members and so is flexible. She said that every MFP MP continues to believe that the royal defamation law is problematic, but how to tackle amending it needs to be discussed once they join the new party. She noted, however, that the court ruling does not completely prohibit amendments to the royal defamation law.

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 Chaithawat and Pita, are banned from running in elections, forming a political party, or serving as executive board members in any party for 10 years. The MFP MPs then joined a new party named the “People’s Party.” MP Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, formerly a deputy secretary-general for the MFP, was named party leader.