Pheu Thai party leader Julapun Amornvivat held a press conference at around 21.15 on Sunday night (8 February), as the party is expected to gain around 80 seats in parliament, that the party is stepping aside to allow the party that comes first to form a government and is ready for any role in parliament even as an opposition party.

Julapun said that, even though the vote count is incomplete, the party is starting to see the picture. He thanked voters who come to the poll and everyone who voted for Pheu Thai. It will now be up to the party that win the most seats to form a government, he said, and Pheu Thai will do their best to work for the people in whatever role.

The party has not discussed whether to join the government or the opposition, Julapun said. He expects the party to gain around 80 – 100 seats. Party members and its candidate for Prime Minister Yodchanan Wongsawat remain in good spirit because of support from voters.

Julapun said that the party can work for the people no matter which party it is working with. He said that the party will have to wait and see whether the leader of the government coalition would be reaching out, as well as their ideology and policy. If it joins the opposition, it may not have a lot of options, he said, but it has been an opposition party before and will do its best.

As of 23.35, according to Vote62’s website, which pulls data from the Election Commission of Thailand’s result reporting platform, Pheu Thai comes third in the poll. It is expected to gain 78 seats, 61 of which are constituency MPs.